JUSTICE

Criminal Justice System

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what research his Department has  (a) undertaken and  (b) evaluated on the treatment in the criminal justice system of people who are on the autistic spectrum.

Crispin Blunt: The Ministry of Justice has not undertaken any specific research, or evaluated any specific treatment of people who are on the autistic spectrum in the criminal justice system. However, offenders are known to have a higher level of needs across a wide range of conditions than the general population, and recently, the department has undertaken a survey of offenders in custody, and started a survey of offenders in the community, each including a range of emotional and other wellbeing questions. A report on the survey of offenders in custody will be published as part of a Reoffending Statistics Compendium on 4 November 2010. We are committed to working closely with our partners in the Department of Health and other departments to make sure offenders have access to appropriate treatment.

Departmental Manpower

David Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many  (a) officials of his Department and  (b) external advisers are working on his Department's review of legal aid.

Jonathan Djanogly: The Justice Secretary announced on 23 June 2010,  Official Report, column 16-18WS, via written ministerial statement, that the Government are undertaking a policy assessment of legal aid in England and Wales.
	Currently a team of 10 is working on the legal aid policy assessment, which has been formulated from existing resources from within the Ministry of Justice and from the Legal Services Commission. The team has been supported by other officials across the Ministry of Justice and the Legal Services Commission as part of their other duties.
	No external advisers have been engaged to work on the policy assessment of legal aid, other than Counsel.

Legal Aid

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what changes he plans to make to the eligibility criteria for legal aid in the next 12 months.

Jonathan Djanogly: On 23 June 2010,  Official Report, columns 16-18WS, the Justice Secretary announced, via written ministerial statement, that the Government are undertaking a policy assessment of legal aid in England and Wales. The Government intends to seek views on proposals later this autumn.

Prisoner Transfer Agreement

Damian Collins: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will place in the Library copies of documents held by his Department on the negotiation of the Prisoner Transfer Agreement with Libya which have not previously been released.

Crispin Blunt: The Prime Minister asked the Cabinet Secretary on 20 July to review papers held by the Government to see if more needs to be published about the background to the release of Abdelbaset al-Megrahi to ensure the fullest possible explanation of the circumstances surrounding this decision. This includes papers related to the negotiation of the Prisoner Transfer Agreement. The review is ongoing and the Cabinet Secretary aims to conclude this work as soon as possible.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Computers

Chris Ruane: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the House of Commons Commission, how many  (a) laptop and  (b) desktop computers have been returned to PICT during its most recent refresh programme; and by what means such computers are to be (i) disposed of and (ii) re-used.

Stuart Bell: As of 11 October 2010, the Members' Programme has collected 401 laptops and 1,811 desktop computers. Where there is re-sale value, this equipment will be sold in order to reduce overall costs to Parliament; otherwise it will be disposed of in an environmentally-friendly way. In both cases, all data and software will have been securely removed.

Times of Sittings

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the House of Commons Commission, what estimate the House of Commons Commission has made of the additional cost to the House Service of  (a) interruption to repairs, maintenance works and refurbishments and  (b) other activities undertaken in connection with the sittings from 6 to 16 September 2010.

Stuart Bell: An early decision was made to adapt the programme of repairs, maintenance works and refurbishments to take account of the shorter summer recess and the September sitting. It is therefore difficult to quantify accurately the additional cost to the House Service of the September sitting. It was determined that it would not be cost effective or realistic to stop work while the House resumed in September and then recommence work during the three weeks of the conference season, because of the requirement for double set up and removal costs, and because the working time would be too short for any meaningful work to be undertaken. The penalty has therefore been of deferred projects rather than increased costs.
	The difference in other House Service costs between sitting and non-sitting days is small, as the major costs of accommodation and staffing are not appreciably affected.

WALES

Departmental Drinking Water

Nick de Bois: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much her Department has spent on bottled water in each year since 2008.

David Jones: In 2008-09 the Wales Office spent £1,558 on bottled water for water coolers. In February 2009 water coolers connected to the mains water supply were installed, eliminating the need to buy bottled water. The Wales Office has not routinely bought smaller bottles of water in this period, and any spending would require disproportionate cost to identify.

Departmental Manpower

Gregg McClymont: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many officials her Department has appointed on fixed-term contracts since 7 May 2010.

David Jones: There have been no appointments on fixed-term contracts since that date.

Departmental Secondment

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many staff her Department has appointed on secondment since 7 May 2010; and from what organisation each such member of staff has been seconded.

David Jones: No one has been seconded to the Wales Office since 7 May 2010.

S4C: Finance

Wayne David: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales 
	(1)  what  (a) timetable has been set and  (b) arrangements have been made for future discussions with the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport on the future funding of S4C;
	(2)  whether she plans to meet the Welsh Language Society, Cymdeithas Yr Iaith Gymraeg, to discuss the future funding of S4C.

David Jones: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has regular meetings with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics Media and Sport on a range of issues including S4C and Welsh broadcasting. My right hon. Friend and I will continue to monitor this situation closely.
	I will be meeting with members of Cymdeithas Yr Iaith Gymraeg shortly to discuss a range of issues, including the future funding of S4C.

Worship Grant Scheme

Wayne David: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if she will discuss with the Chancellor of the Exchequer the continuation in Wales of the Listed Places of Worship Grant scheme.

David Jones: No decision has yet been made on the future of the Listed Places of Worship Grant scheme.
	As the scheme represents heritage spend, it would normally be a devolved matter. However, in this case, the devolved Administrations have assigned responsibility back to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) in the interests of a single UK-wide scheme.

SCOTLAND

Railways: Lanarkshire

Frank Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland 
	(1)  whether he plans to meet cross-border rail companies to discuss rail services via Lanarkshire,
	(2)  when he next plans to meet the Scottish Executive to discuss cross-border rail services via Lanarkshire,
	(3)  what plans he has to discuss with the Secretary of State for Transport the matter of cross-border rail services via Lanarkshire.

Michael Moore: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 14 September 2010,  Official Report, column 945W. I will continue to take an interest in cross-border rail services and, if the hon. Member wishes to make his own representations, I would be happy to receive them.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

British Film Institute

Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether his Department monitors the number of British independent narrative feature films programmed by the British Film Institute at its festivals.

Edward Vaizey: The programming schedule at Film Festivals is a matter for the British Film Institute. The Department does not monitor the number of British narrative feature films at such events.

Football

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what plans he has to regulate the governance of the ownership of football clubs; what recent representations he has received on the role of supporters in the governance of such clubs; and if he will make a statement.

Hugh Robertson: My current priority for football is for England 2018 to win the football World cup bid.
	It is for the football authorities to run our national game but the Government will continue to encourage The Football Association, Premier League, and Football League to work closely together to improve its governance and regulation. This includes exploring better ways to involve supporters in their local clubs.
	I also continue to support the work of Supporters Direct and have been particularly encouraged by a number of unique supporter plans to secure their involvement in their club.
	I look forward to seeing how these develop and will discuss the role of supporters again with the authorities in the near future to see what progress has been made.

Government Olympic Executive

Andrew Bingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many full-time equivalent staff have worked for the Government Olympic Executive in each of the last five years.

Hugh Robertson: The following table sets out the number of full-time equivalent staff who have worked for the Government Olympic Executive in each of the last five years.
	
		
			  Financial year  Number of FTEs 
			 2005-06 30 
			 2006-07 44.3 
			 2007-08 62.3 
			 2008-09 89.4 
			 2009-10 92.9

Olympic Games 2012

Therese Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport which of Team GB's sporting teams  (a) have established and  (b) plan to establish training camps for the London 2012 Olympics outside Greater London.

Hugh Robertson: The British Olympic Association will provide a pre-games holding camp at Loughborough university and the British Paralympic Association at Bath university. However a number of sports have plans to create their own bespoke holding camp solutions totalling two in greater London, 27 across the rest of the UK, e.g. Newport, and three overseas. A further 15 sports have yet to confirm their pre-games camp arrangements.

Olympic Games 2012: Contracts

Ian Swales: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many contracts related to the London 2012 Olympics have been awarded to businesses and organisations in  (a) the South East,  (b) the South West,  (c) the East of England,  (d) the East Midlands,  (e) London,  (f) Wales,  (g) Scotland and  (h) Northern Ireland; and what the monetary value of such contracts is.

Hugh Robertson: Information on businesses across the nations and regions that have won Olympic-related contracts directly supplying the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA), and in the supply chains of its contractors, is available in the business section of the London 2012 website under the heading ODA Suppliers, where you will be able to find suppliers listed by venue and sector:
	www.london2012.com/business
	As of the end of September 2010 the figures are:
	
		
			   Region  Number of contracts  Total contract value (£) 
			  (a) South East 216 805,911,827 
			  (b) South West 59 9,300,562 
			  (c) East of England 133 719,818,580 
			  (d) East Midlands 43 271,818,960 
			  (e) London 718 2,877,177,277 
			  (f) Wales 10 588,663 
			  (g) Scotland 24 23,287,008 
			  (h) Northern Ireland 5 17,094,646 
		
	
	These figures only account for the contracts awarded by the ODA to its own top tier of contractors (tier one contractors). The figures do not include the values of contracts further down the supply chain, in tiers two, three and so on, which are awarded by the tier one contractors and not by the ODA. The ODA estimates that the total value of supply chain contracts to the regions runs into millions of pounds, but these are not public procurements and so the full value of contracts won across the UK is not captured by the figures provided. The ODA estimates that overall up to 50,000 contracts will be generated throughout its supply chains. The ODA is unable to release the value of individual contracts at this time as this is commercially sensitive information. These figures represent the committed spend to date, rather than the end contract value, as in many cases this will not yet be known.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Biodiversity: International Co-operation

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 5 July 2010,  Official Report, column 59W, on biodiversity: international cooperation, when she plans to appoint a UK representative to the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services.

Richard Benyon: The next step towards establishment of the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services should be taken by the United Nations General Assembly during the current 65th Session. Appropriate UK representation will be decided once it is formally established.

Cattle Passports

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will review the charges for the issue of cattle passports.

James Paice: There is currently no charge for the issue of cattle passports, except when passports are lost or damaged, when a charge of £20 is levied for a replacement. The option to pass on the costs of cattle tracing to the industry has been considered in the past but not implemented; there are no plans to introduce a charge at the present time. A programme of work is under way to reduce the administration costs of cattle tracing, including passport issues.

Food: Imports

Karl McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she is taking to prevent the introduction of invasive non-native wheat.

Richard Benyon: DEFRA is not aware of plans to introduce invasive non-native wheat.

Food: Imports

Karl McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps her Department is taking to reduce the number of biohazards, with particular reference to the interception of food products at ports.

James Paice: Rules governing the importation of products of animal origin (POAO), including food products, are laid down in EU legislation. Imported food products must come from an approved establishment in an approved third country and be accompanied by appropriate animal and public health certification, which includes a guarantee that the products come from healthy animals. All consignments are checked on entry to ensure that they meet EU import conditions. These checks may include analysis for microbiological contaminants.
	The UK Border Agency (UKBA) is responsible for anti-smuggling controls at the GB border on imports of POAO from outside the EU. All operational frontline UKBA staff are employed as multifunctional anti-smuggling staff with a responsibility to tackle a range of risks at the border, including illegal imports of POAO. Enforcement staff are deployed on a mobile and flexible basis and, at major ports and airports, are supported by the use of detector dogs specifically trained to detect POAO.
	DEFRA and UKBA continue to work together to ensure that UKBA delivers a risk-based enforcement strategy that targets the entry routes that pose the greatest threat of introducing animal disease and responds flexibly to changing patterns in risk.
	All smuggled POAO are treated as animal or public health risks and destroyed by incineration in the shortest possible time.
	Imports of POAO from other EU member states are not checked at the frontier, but are subject to random checks at the point of destination.

Pigs: Tuberculosis

Karl McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether contingency plans are in place for circumstances in which there is an increase in the incidence of tuberculosis in pigs; and what her policy is on active surveillance of pigs for that disease.

James Paice: Pigs are susceptible to infection with bovine TB, but are considered incidental spillover hosts and unlikely to play any significant role in maintaining the epidemic in cattle and wildlife in the UK. However, Animal Health do receive reports of sporadic incidents of TB in pigs, often in high cattle TB incidence areas where infection has come from cattle or wildlife.
	Surveillance for TB in pigs is based on routine post mortem meat inspection in abattoirs. In addition, TB in non-bovine species is a notifiable disease under the Tuberculosis (England) Order 2007. Under the order, carcases of pigs (and any other farmed animal or pet) with, or suspected of being affected with tuberculosis, are notifiable to Animal Health. When TB is suspected, Animal Health can impose movement restrictions on herds to reduce the risk of spread of infection out of the herd. We work with the herd owner to agree appropriate surveillance regimes for their particular enterprise aimed at lifting the restrictions at the earliest opportunity and in the most cost effective manner. Occasionally this can involve a test and slaughter (of TB test positive animals) approach, while at other times Animal Health vets rely on routine meat inspection information.

Supermarkets: Competition

Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what work her Department is undertaking on  (a) supermarket competition and  (b) the relationship of supermarkets with local communities.

James Paice: We are working with colleagues in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills to establish the Groceries Code Adjudicator to monitor and enforce the Groceries Supply Code of Practice. Any local supplier or producer will be able to complain to the Adjudicator if they consider that they are directly or indirectly affected by retailer behaviour. The Government are currently considering the Competition Commission's recommendations to improve local competition between large grocery stores and will be responding to these later this year.

DEFENCE

Armed Forces: Housing

John Glen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many housing relocations of serving military personnel have taken place in the last 12 months; and at what cost.

Andrew Robathan: The Ministry of Defence does not centrally hold the total number of military personnel relocated each year, or the cost of these relocations.

Armed Forces: Uniforms

Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of his Department's contracts for military garments has been placed with suppliers based in the United Kingdom in the last two years.

Gerald Howarth: The Defence Clothing Team, part of the Ministry of Defence's Defence Equipment and Support organisation, has placed 67 contracts for supply of military garments in the last 24 months. Some 58 of these have been placed with suppliers based in the United Kingdom (87%). Contracts are let in accordance with European Union Procurement Directives and Regulations which set out the law on public procurement. The Department's relationship is with the prime contractor who may choose to subcontract some or all of the manufacturing work to suitable companies worldwide.

Armoured Fighting Vehicles

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department's RWMIK vehicle platform has passed the NATO standardisation agreement (STANAG) 4569 Level 2A test.

Peter Luff: I regret that I must withhold the information as its disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the armed forces.

Departmental Contracts

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the monetary value is of contracts his Department has awarded to each  (a) management consultancy and  (b) IT company since 7 May 2010.

Peter Luff: The information requested is not held centrally and a full response could be produced only at disproportionate cost. However, we are able to provide information on external assistance contracted under enabling agreements and placed through the Central Top Level Budget Commercial (CTLBCom) branch, and on IT services placed through the Information and Communication Services (ICS) Catalogue for the period requested.
	
		
			  Management consultancy contracts placed under enabling agreements by CTLBCom since 7 May 2010 
			   £ 
			 PWC LLP 347,752 
			 Dr. Mukulika Banerjee, London School of Economics 2,000 
			 QinetiQ 17,662.50 
			 Capita Symonds Ltd 15,000 
			 Stephen Foot, Concerto Consulting 11,000 
			  Note: Historically the majority of MOD external assistance contracts have been placed by CTLBCom. 
		
	
	
		
			  Orders placed against ICS catalogue since 7 May 2010 
			   £ 
			 Actica 1,612,203 
			 Atkins 359,876 
			 Detica 200,397 
			 Parity 1,074,360 
			 QI 15,900 
			 QinetiQ 21,350 
			 S-Com Group Ltd 897,271 
			 SCS 694,499 
			 Serco 513,106 
			 Vega 2,381,675 
			 Elan 323,412 
			 LA International 4,553,920 
			 Modis 164,064 
			 Certes 113,000 
			 Parity 98,420 
			  Note: These represent work undertaken via a single overarching call-off contract, under which the above companies can supply good and services.

Strategic Defence and Security Review

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for  (a) Work and Pensions,  (b) Communities and Local Government,  (c) Business, Innovation and Skills and  (d) the Home Department on his Department's strategic defence and security review; and what assessment he has made of the implications of those discussions for the outcomes of that review.

Liam Fox: I have had a number of discussions with my Cabinet colleagues on the strategic defence and security review. The Review is being led by the new National Security Council on which the Home Secretary sits and the Minister for Business, Innovation and Skills has attended a number of times.
	These National Security Council discussions will ensure that SDSR decisions are taken forward in a co-ordinated, pan-Government way.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Electoral Register

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what account he took of levels of people who are registered to vote in more than one UK parliamentary constituency in developing proposals for a uniform electoral quota for constituencies.

Mark Harper: The Government's proposals treat people registered to vote in more than one constituency in the same way as existing legislation. It has been a longstanding feature of the electoral register that some people are legitimately registered in two places. Although in some circumstances a person may legitimately appear on two or more electoral registers, it is an offence, subject to a fine of up to £5,000, to vote more than once at an election for the same body. Therefore a person cannot vote twice in a UK General election or European Parliamentary election, but can do so in different local elections where they are validly registered.
	The Government believe that the electoral register remains the best basis for defining parliamentary constituencies, since it is updated every year, and produced for electoral purposes.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Alcoholic Drinks: Young People

Gareth Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many arrests there were in connection with underage drinking in Dartford constituency in each of the last five years.

James Brokenshire: Arrests data are collected centrally on notifiable offences only. Underage drinking is not a notifiable offence and information requested is therefore unavailable.

Asylum

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the system for allocating appointments for initial screening at the UK Border Agency Asylum Screening Unit in Croydon for those travelling from the North East; and whether alternative appointment times are made available for such people.

Damian Green: On 14 October 2009, the Asylum Screening Unit (ASU) in Croydon became the single, national site for anyone wishing to make an in-country application for asylum in the UK.
	An appointment system was introduced to manage effectively the flow of people into Croydon ASU. This offers applicants both choice and certainty on the specific date and time of their interview and is particularly useful for those who may need to travel some distance and who want to plan their journey. In those cases, where possible, applicants will be offered appointment slots to fit with their travel plans. The appointment system is monitored on a daily basis and can be adjusted as the number of applicants changes.
	We also remain committed to dealing with vulnerable and destitute people on the day and so, alongside the appointment system, the ASU has retained a walk-in facility for all such initial applications.
	It is also recognised that there may be a small number of cases who, because of exceptional circumstances, are unable to travel to Croydon-this may include some unaccompanied asylum-seeking children. In these cases alternative arrangements will be made to ensure such applicants can be screened locally and their claim processed.

Asylum: Children

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which UK Border Agency offices provide child care when asylum seekers are being interviewed; and what plans she has for the future of that provision.  [Official Report, 29 November 2010, Vol. 519, c. 7MC.]

Damian Green: We are committed to ensuring that parents who are being interviewed about their reasons for seeking protection are not placed in the position of having to give an account of personal victimisation or humiliation in the presence of their children. In general, applicants are advised in their letter of invitation not to bring their children to the interview but to make alternative arrangements.
	For some families, child care will be easier to arrange-in London, for example, the majority of asylum applicants are able to reside with family and friends and as a result have a wider support network for child care. We do recognise, however, that this will not be possible for all families.
	At present, the only UK Border Agency building that provides child care facilities when a parent is being interviewed about their asylum claim is in the North West. Additionally, however, in the West Midlands, the UK Border Agency is currently in the final stages of discussions with the Children's Society and hope to be in a position to provide a supervised play facility for the dependents of interviewees by January 2011. If these facilities prove successful and cost effective, we will consider extending this approach to other offices.

Asylum: Females

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many female asylum seekers were detained in mixed sex facilities in the latest year for which figures are available.

Damian Green: The UK Border Agency has three Immigration Removal Centres and two residential short-term holding facilities where women may be detained.
	Yarl's Wood is the main centre for women. Single women are accommodated in one of three units; those who are part of a family group may be held on a separate unit, where they may mix with other families.
	Tinsley House and Dungavel House Immigration Removal Centres and the residential holding facilities at Pennine House and Colnbrook, hold both men and women, although the facilities are designed to ensure they sleep separately. Dover Harbour closed in July 2010.
	The following table shows the number of female asylum seekers entering detention held solely under Immigration Act powers, by place of initial detention in 2009, Q1 2010 and Q2 2010.
	As at 30 June 2010, there were 190 female asylum seekers detained solely under Immigration Act powers.
	Information on females detained solely under Immigration Act powers are available in the Control of Immigration: Quarterly Statistical Summary, United Kingdom, April-June 2010 in the Library of the House and the Home Office's Research, Development and Statistics website at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration-asylum-stats.html
	
		
			  Female asylum seekers entering detention( 1, 2, 3)  held solely under Immigration Act powers, by place of initial detention, (excluding Harwich), 2009-Q2 2010( 4, 5) 
			  Number of persons 
			   Females entering detention 
			  Place of initial detention  2009  Q1 2010  Q2 2010 
			 Yarl's Wood 1,505 435 305 
			 Tinsley House 175 25 25 
			 Dungavel 200 45 30 
			  UK Border Agency s hort- term holding facilities
			 Colnbrook short-term 65 20 20 
			 Dover Harbour 470 10 15 
			 Pennine House 210 30 35 
			 Total 2,625 570 420 
			 (1) Some detainees may be recorded more than once If, for example, the person has been detained on more than one separate occasion in the time period shown, such as a person who has left detention, but has subsequently been re-detained. (2) Persons detained under Immigration Act powers who are recorded as having sought asylum at some stage. Figures may under record due to instances of detainees claiming asylum after the data extract date. (3) Management information. (4) Figures rounded to the nearest 5 and may not sum to the totals shown because of independent rounding. Figures exclude persons recorded as entering Harwich short-term holding facility, police cells and Prison Service establishments, those recorded as detained under both criminal and immigration powers and their dependants. (5) Figures include dependants.

Borders: Personal Records

Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether she assessed the merits of changing the scope of the e-Borders contract in response to representations from Raytheon on the implications of EU legislation for the rollout of the e-Borders programme.

Damian Green: The decision to terminate the contract with Raytheon was taken after careful consideration of all the issues and on the basis of the supplier's performance not having been compliant with their contractual obligations.
	Officials continue to engage in regular dialogue with the EU Commission on matters relating to the e-Borders programme, including the EU personal data protection Directive. This dialogue has informed the management and direction of the e-Borders programme.

Borders: Personal Records

Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations her Department has considered on the legal basis for passenger data collection requirements under the e-Borders programme.

Damian Green: The enabling provisions in primary legislation were debated in Parliament and are set out in the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006. The legal basis for the scheme has been subject to parliamentary and public scrutiny. Representations were made by some carriers to the European Commission in April 2009 regarding e-Borders compatibility with EU law on Free Movement and Data Protection directives.
	Officials continue to engage in regular dialogue with the EU Commission on matters relating to the e-Borders programme, including the EU Personal Data Protection Directive. This dialogue has informed the management and direction of the e-Borders programme.

Criminal Records Bureau

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the waiting times for Criminal Records Bureau checks were in each month of 2010 for which figures are available; and if she will make a statement.

Lynne Featherstone: The following table details the average time taken for the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) to process an enhanced disclosure and a standard disclosure in days, for each month in 2010, for which figures are available.
	
		
			  Average turnaround (days) 
			   Enhanced disclosure  Standard disclosure 
			  2010   
			 January 30.86 8.45 
			 February 28.85 7.39 
			 March 28.19 8.75 
			 April 29.31 9.77 
			 May 28.31 7.97 
			 June 26.93 5.65 
			 July 25.62 5.38 
			 August 28.72 5.57 
			 September 26.78 4.97

Female Genital Mutilation

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to the answer to the right hon. Member for Eastleigh (Chris Huhne) of 13 October 2009,  Official Report, column 1872W, on female genital mutilation: prosecutions, what the nature of the anecdotal evidence was which suggested that the Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003 was helping to prevent the practice; what progress in tackling this issue has been made since the appointment of the cross-Government co-ordinator; and if she will make a statement.

Lynne Featherstone: The 2003 Act is intended to deter the practice of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and we understand that in some cases social services departments have used the existence of the Act to warn parents-before they travelled with their daughters to countries where FGM is practised-that they could be prosecuted on their return if FGM were carried out abroad. Following this, the girls concerned have returned home intact.
	Since the appointment of the cross-Government FGM co-ordinator, a number of initiatives have been implemented to improve the Government response to tackling FGM. These include:
	Action plan for 2010 developed following consultation with non-governmental organisations (NGOs), statutory agencies and professionals who have expertise in working on FGM. Actions include:
	Improving prevention of FGM by helping more people to understand what it is, the damaging consequences of it and where to access to help.
	Ensuring statutory agencies and other professionals know how to recognise potential victims of FGM and how to help them.
	Publicity campaign (March 2010) including a website:
	www.fco.gov.uk/fgm
	poster and leaflet, launched to raise awareness of FGM by helping people to understand the issue and its consequences as well as encouraging professionals and victims to seek support.
	FGM Partner Forum to enable stakeholders to provide challenge, ideas, support and guidance on the work and the key issues relating to FGM.
	Multi-Agency Practice Guidelines to assist practitioners handling cases of FGM. These guidelines are open for consultation at the website above. Following consideration of responses, we hope to publish these guidelines in spring 2011.

Female Genital Mutilation

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the provisions of the Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003; and what steps her Department is taking to increase the proportion of people committing offences under that Act who are prosecuted.

Lynne Featherstone: There has been no formal assessment of the 2003 Act. Legislation alone cannot eliminate the practice so our resources are also aimed at raising awareness of the law and the health implications with communities and front-line practitioners.
	The Act has provided an impetus for outreach work with the practising communities and it has been widely used to raise awareness among the police, judiciary, health professionals, social services departments and the education sector so that female genital mutilation (FGM) is treated with the seriousness that it deserves.
	The Government appointed a cross-Government FGM co-ordinator in September 2009 and a number of initiatives have been implemented to improve the Government response to tackling FGM. Most recently, the Home Office, in partnership with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Department of Health and Department for Education, have developed draft multi-agency practice guidelines to assist practitioners handling cases of FGM. These guidelines are open for consultation at:
	www.fco.gov.uk/fgm
	Following consideration of responses, we hope to publish these guidelines in spring 2011.

Immigration Controls

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many organisations have been granted sponsorship status for  (a) Tier 2 and  (b) Tier 4 schemes since their inception.

Damian Green: The Tier 2 sponsor register opened on 28 February 2008. From 28 February 2008 to 8 September 2010, 18,078 Tier 2 licences have been granted.
	The Tier 4 sponsor register opened on 28 July 2008. Between 28 July 2008 and 8 September 2010, 2,445 licences have been granted.
	Both figures include organisations whose licences may have been suspended, revoked or withdrawn.
	A full list of sponsors currently licensed can be found on the website at:
	www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk

Immigration: Bulgaria

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether she has made an estimate of the likely effects on levels of immigration from Bulgaria of the extension by the government of Bulgaria of passport entitlement to Ukraine and Belarus citizens; and if she will make a statement.

Damian Green: No estimates have been made, but the UK Border Agency will continue to monitor closely any significant changes in numbers of individuals seeking permission to work in the UK under the work authorisation schemes in place for workers from Romania and Bulgaria, or those individuals applying for residence documentation.

Khat

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment she has made of the use of khat in the UK; what estimate she has made of the monetary value of khat imported in the last 12 months; and what recent representations she has received on its legal status.

James Brokenshire: In line with the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs' (ACMD) statutory duty under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, I have written to the ACMD asking for it to review the available evidence relating to the harms of khat and provide advice in relation to both control under the 1971 Act and a wider response. The British Crime Survey report "Drug Misuse Declared 2009/10" for the first time includes estimates of the prevalence of khat use in the general population. Preliminary findings (based on six months data) show that 0.2% of adults reported using khat in the last year. The Home Office commissioned two studies in 2009 to explore the social harms associated with khat use. The main and substantive research study "Perceptions of the social harms associated with khat use" is available at:
	www.homeoffice.gov.uk
	The second report, due to be published in November, is a review of the national and international literature examining the evidence on the social harms associated with khat and the impact of legislation in countries which have legislated against khat use and supply. No estimate has been made by the Home Office of the monetary value of khat imported into the UK in the last 12 months. No recent representations have been made on the legal status of khat.

Khat

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent representations she has received on the social effects of the use of khat.

James Brokenshire: In line with the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs' (ACMD) statutory duty under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, I have written to the ACMD asking for it to review the available evidence relating to the harms of khat and provide advice in relation to both control under Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and a wider response. No representations have been made on the effects of the use of khat.

Nationality

Ian Davidson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applicants for nationality in categories requiring residency in the UK of five years were granted nationality following a period of permanent residency of fewer than five years in the most recent period for which figures are available; for what reasons the residency requirements were waived in such cases; and if she will make a statement.

Damian Green: Those avenues to British citizenship requiring five years residence (naturalisation under section 6(1) British Nationality Act (BNA) 1981 and registration under section 4(2) BNA 1981) include it as a mandatory requirement. The applicant must have been resident in the UK five years prior to applying. The answer is therefore, strictly, nil.
	However, up to 450 days' absence from the UK is allowed during the five-year qualifying period and there is discretion available to overlook absences in excess of this level, within reason, in certain circumstances. The number of such cases could be obtained only by the detailed examination of individual case records at disproportionate costs.

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Biomass

Ian Swales: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will bring forward proposals to introduce a two-year grace period for biomass grandfathering; and if he will make a statement.

Charles Hendry: Biomass has an important role to play in increasing the amount of energy from renewable sources. The new arrangements announced in July to 'grandfather' support for bio-energy over 20 years under the renewables obligation already represent a major step forward in providing the reassurance and investor certainty required for bio-energy projects to access finance, and have been welcomed by industry.
	We are now in the process of considering the levels of support that renewables projects will receive through the renewables obligation from April 2013 onwards, including whether it is appropriate to introduce a 'grace period' to extend the current support rates for plant such as biomass electricity plant with long build times. This analysis will take into account potential impacts on energy consumers' bills.

Carbon Emissions: Finance

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much his Department has contributed to the 10:10 campaign to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

Gregory Barker: The Department for Energy and Climate Change has not contributed financially to the 10:10 campaign.

Departmental Telephone Services

Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent estimate he has made of the annual cost to his Department of running an 0300 telephone number.

Gregory Barker: The Department uses a non-geographic number range starting 0300. This offers price certainty to callers, but does not add to the Department's telephony costs compared to the cost of an area-based number range.

Offshore Industry

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what his policy is on the European Commission's proposal for a moratorium on offshore deepwater drilling activities.

Charles Hendry: While continuing to be vigilant in the light of the Macondo incident, we do not believe there is currently a case for a moratorium on deepwater drilling in the UK.
	The UK regime is robust-following the Inquiry into the Piper Alpha disaster in 1998, a comprehensive offshore regulatory system was set up to ensure that the roles and responsibilities of all parties, including well operators, sub-contractors and regulators, are clear and well understood.

Offshore Industry

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent discussions his Department has had with the Health and Safety Executive on the safety of offshore deepwater drilling activities in the North Sea.

Charles Hendry: Regulation of offshore drilling activities with regard to safety falls within the responsibilities of the Health and Safety Executive, but there is ongoing and regular contact between the Department and the HSE on their respective areas of responsibility.
	There have been, and, as necessary, continue to be, discussions with regards to offshore deepwater drilling activities, and HSE and DECC also work together as active members of the Oil Spill Prevention and Response Advisory Group (OSPRAG) which provides a focal point for the sector's review of the industry's practices in the UK in the light of the Gulf of Mexico incident, and the conclusions of investigations relating to that incident.

World War II: Medals

Penny Mordaunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what his most recent estimate is of the cost to the public purse of the Bevin Boy Badge Scheme.

Charles Hendry: Following the announcement of the Bevin Boys Veterans Badge on 20 June 2007, the Department let a contract for the production of 6,000 badges at a cost of £7,740 excluding VAT. Since the first badge was issued on 25 March 2008 we have awarded 4,872 badges. The MOD's Service Personnel and Veterans Agency (SPVA), administer the awarding of the badges on behalf of DECC but do not currently charge the Department for this service. A detailed cost breakdown for the administration of the scheme within DECC is not available. Oversight of the scheme and associated policy issues currently equates to less than 5% of one grade 7's time.

TRANSPORT

Bus Services

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his policy is on the further implementation of statutory quality contracts for bus services; and if he will make a statement.

Norman Baker: The coalition agreement made it clear that our focus will be on encouraging joint working between bus operators and local authorities. However, as the guidance related to quality contract schemes has been published in full, local transport authorities are perfectly entitled to consult residents on their plans to make use of the new regulations on bus quality contract schemes to improve local bus services for passengers as they see fit.
	The Competition Commission is currently conducting an inquiry into the local bus market following a referral from the Office of Fair Trading in January this year and the new regulations are within scope of its investigations. The Government therefore intend to wait for the outcome of the inquiry into the local bus market before deciding on the future of the current bus regulatory framework.

Bus Services

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what research his Department has  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated on the relationship between different modes of bus services ownership and bus ridership numbers.

Norman Baker: The Department for Transport has commissioned no research on this subject.

Driving Tests

Duncan Hames: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many driving tests have been conducted by each driving test centre in  (a) Wiltshire,  (b) Somerset and  (c) Avon in each of the last three years.

Michael Penning: The numbers of driving tests by category of vehicles conducted at each driving test centre in  (a) Wiltshire,  (b) Somerset and  (c) Avon in each of the last three years are shown in the following tables.
	
		
			  Tests conducted between 1 April 2007 and 31 March 2008 
			Car  Motorcycle  B+E  LGV  PCV 
			 Avon Bristol (Brislington) 5,069 562 - - - 
			  Bristol (Southmead) 10,291 857 - - - 
			  Bristol (St George) 8,100 - - - - 
			  Bristol LGV (closed 20 March 2008) - - 157 1,154 146 
			
			 Somerset Minehead 956 - - - - 
			  Taunton 5,058 367 - - - 
			  Taunton LGV - - 214 902 91 
			  Weston-Super-Mare 5,366 408 - - - 
			  Yeovil 5,195 446 - - - 
			
			 Wiltshire Chippenham 5,696 499 - - - 
			  Salisbury 3,415 222 - - - 
			  Swindon 7,379 595 - - - 
			  Swindon LGV - - 88 675 94 
			  Trowbridge 4,816 293 - - - 
		
	
	
		
			  Tests conducted between 1 April 2008 and 31 March 2009 
			Car  Motorcycle  B+E  LGV  PCV 
			 Avon Bristol (Brislington) 5,340 508 - - - 
			  Bristol (Southmead) 9,937 626 - - - 
			  Bristol (St George) (closed 31 October 2008) 4,823 - - - - 
			  Bristol MPTC (opened 28 September 2008) 2,551 961 60 472 25 
			
			 Somerset Minehead (closed 15 August 2008) 373 - - - - 
			  Taunton 5,675 459 - - - 
			  Taunton LGV 6 - 293 900 99 
			  Weston-Super-Mare 5,218 475 - - - 
			  Yeovil 4,898 463 - - - 
			
			 Wiltshire Chippenham 7,273 661 - - - 
			  Salisbury 3,989 277 - - - 
			  Swindon - 461 - - - 
			  Swindon LGV - - 89 600 109 
			  Swindon MPTC (opened 29 September 2008) 618 340 - - - 
			  Trowbridge (closed 29 August 2008) 2,306 202 - - - 
		
	
	
		
			  Tests conducted between 1 April 2009 and 31 March 2010 
			Car  Motorcycle (single test)  Motorcycle m odule 1  Motorcycle module 2  B+E  LGV  PCV 
			 Avon Bristol (Brislington) 5,781 - - - - - - 
			  Bristol (Southmead) 9,402 - - - - - - 
			  Bristol MPTC 6,187 156 1302 798 122 759 82 
			  
			 Somerset Taunton 5,595 36 - 183 - - - 
			  Taunton LGV - - 169 - 275 324 76 
			  Weston-Super-Mare 5,136 34 - 134 - - - 
			  Yeovil 4,716 35 - - - - - 
			  
			 Wiltshire Chippenham 7,325 60 - - - - - 
			  Salisbury 3,831 25 - 92 - - - 
			  Swindon LGV - - - - 100 434 68 
			  Swindon MPTC 7,429 74 - 564 - - -

Driving: Sleep Apnoea

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his Department's policy is on making commercial drivers aware of the risks of obstructive sleep apnoea.

Michael Penning: The Department for Transport is committed to identifying opportunities to raise awareness of obstructive sleep apnoea. A number of initiatives are ongoing with commercial drivers including questioning them directly about it as part of their compulsory medicals and sending our "Tiredness Can Kill" leaflet to them and their employers.

Enhanced Rider Scheme

Aidan Burley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many people have completed his Department's Enhanced Rider Scheme; and what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of that scheme.

Michael Penning: Since Enhanced Rider Scheme (ERS) training started in 2007, the Driving Standards Agency (DSA) has received 868 returns from trainers about participants who have completed the scheme. The submission of these returns is voluntary so this figure is unlikely to fully reflect take up across the country.
	DSA carries out quality assurance of ERS to ensure that the training delivered best meets the needs of the riders.
	In April 2010, DSA launched an evaluation in partnership with local authorities in the South West, Warwickshire/West Mercia and the East of England to evaluate the scheme's effectiveness, in particular to see if it leads to lasting improvements in rider skills, attitudes and behaviour.
	The results of the project are due in summer 2011.

Invalid Vehicles

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he has made a recent assessment of the merits of regulating  (a) the sale of and  (b) training schemes for the use of mobility scooters.

Norman Baker: In 2010 the Department for Transport published a consultation on proposed changes to the laws governing powered mobility scooters and powered wheelchairs. The consultation sought views on a number of issues including whether mobility vehicle users should be required to undergo an assessment of their suitability to use a mobility vehicle and whether they should undertake compulsory training; and on how both of these elements could be organised and delivered.
	We will study the results of the consultation and consider how they may inform future policy options. The aim of any decision will be to balance carefully the mobility needs of disabled people with the safety of other road users. A decision will be published in due course.

Railways: Repairs and Maintenance

Karl McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent representations Network Rail has received on controlling and reducing the  (a) growth of ragweed and  (b) number of rabbits near railway lines.

Theresa Villiers: These are operational matters for Network Rail as the owner and operator of the national rail network. My hon. Friend should contact Network Rail's chief executive at the following address for a response to his questions:
	Iain Coucher
	Chief Executive
	Network Rail
	Kings Place
	90 York Way
	London, N1 9AG.

Severn Bridges: Tolls

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects the concession on the Severn bridges to expire and ownership of the bridges to be transferred to the Government.

Michael Penning: The concession period is limited to a maximum of 30 years. The actual end date will be achieved when the concessionaire has collected a fixed sum of money from tolls (£995,830,000 in 1989 prices). The concession is expected to end in the first half of 2017 (based on the six monthly forecast at the end of June 2010). After this time both crossings will be handed back to the Government.

Severn Bridges: Tolls

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has for the tolls system on the Severn bridges after the bridges pass into ownership of the Government; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Penning: No decisions have been made regarding the future of the Severn bridges once the concession ends in 2017.

Severn Bridges: Tolls

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he has had recent discussions with the Welsh Assembly Government on the future of tolls on the Severn bridges; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Penning: The Secretary of State for Transport has met with the Deputy First Minister and Minister for Economy and Transport for Wales, where the Severn bridges were discussed. No decisions were made at the meeting regarding the future of Severn bridges, once the concession ends.

Severn Bridges: Tolls

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will undertake a consultation on the future of tolls on the Severn bridges in advance of the transfer of ownership of the bridges to the Government.

Michael Penning: No decisions have been made regarding the future of the Severn bridges once the concession ends in 2017. It is premature to consult on what happens after 2017.

Severn Bridges: Tolls

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent representations he has received on the ending of the Severn bridges tolls.

Michael Penning: The Department for Transport has received representations regarding the Severn bridges tolls once the concession ends from the Welsh Assembly Government. The Secretary of State has met with the Deputy First Minister for Wales, where the Severn bridges were discussed in brief. No decisions were made at the meeting regarding the future of Severn bridges, once the concession ends in 2017.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Affordable Housing: East of England

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will place in the Library a copy of the letter of 27 July 2010 from the Homes and Communities Agency to development directors of registered social landlords in the East of England, on allocations in respect of the National Affordable Housing programme for 2010-11; and if he will make a statement.

Grant Shapps: A copy of the email sent from the HCA's East of England Director to Development Directors of Registered Social Landlords on 27 July 2010 has been placed in the Library of the House.

Coalfields

Angela Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  if he will review the classification of areas as former coalfields for the purposes of ensuring that available resources are appropriately allocated;
	(2)  what his policy is on the future funding of former coalfield areas;
	(3)  when he plans to publish his response to the Coalfields Regeneration Review;
	(4)  whether he plans to implement the recommendation of the Coalfields Regeneration Review that the coalfields sites programme managed by the Homes and Communities Agency be brought forward.

Andrew Stunell: A decision will be made on future funding for coalfield areas once the outcome of the spending review is known.
	The Government intend to formally respond to the report in November. As part of the response we will consider the future of the Homes and Communities Agency National Coalfields sites programme, and the suggestion that the classification of coalfield areas should be reviewed. The response will be published on the Communities and Local Government website.
	The review of Coalfields Regeneration report is available on the Communities and Local Government website at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/regeneration/reviewcoalfieldsregeneration

Coalfields

Angela Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what account he plans to take of the principle of localism in his response to the recommendations of the Coalfields Regeneration Review.

Andrew Stunell: Government intend to formally respond to the report in November. We will consider the principle of localism as appropriate in responding to the recommendations. The response will be published on the Communities and Local Government website.
	The review of Coalfields Regeneration report is available on the Communities and Local Government website at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/regeneration/reviewcoalfieldsregeneration

Debts: Disadvantaged

Nicky Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent representations he has received on the effects of debt on people in deprived areas.

Andrew Stunell: We have received a wide range of representations on the effects of debt on people in deprived areas from a number of bodies, including Shelter, Citizens Advice and the Council of Mortgage Lenders.

Government Office for the North East: Redcar

Ian Swales: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what proportion of the budget of the Government Office for the North East was allocated to the promotion of enterprise in  (a) Redcar constituency and  (b) the North East in each of the last five years.

Greg Clark: Government offices did not hold specific budgets for the promotion of enterprise.

Housing: Energy

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the average cost per home of improving its energy efficiency rating from F or G to E or above.

Andrew Stunell: The Secretary of State has made no estimate of the average cost per home of improving its energy efficiency rating from F or G to E or above.
	The Energy Saving Trust has estimated that, of the total number of F and G properties in 2005, 37% can be improved to an E rating through basic insulation measures at a cost of £1,000 or less and 47% through installation of a modern condensing boiler at a cost of £3,000 or less. Some 15% of F and G rated homes, characterised as 'hard to make decent', will cost from £5,000 to £9,500 to improve to an E rating, leaving a small percentage (1.5%) costing up to £5,000 to upgrade.

Housing: Regulation

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans his Department has for the regulation of the housing sector following the ending of the Homes and Communities Agency.

Grant Shapps: The Homes and Communities Agency is not responsible for housing regulation. The Tenant Services Authority (TSA) is responsible for regulating social housing. The Government have been reviewing the role and purpose of TSA and the framework for social housing regulation. The outcomes of that review will be announced shortly.

Playing Fields: Sales

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the number of square hectares of land sold off by the National Playing Fields Association in each of the last five years.

Bob Neill: The information sought relating to the area of land sold off by the National Playing Fields Association is not collected centrally and no estimate has been made.

Private Rented Housing: Energy

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the number of homes in the private rented sector with an energy efficiency rating of F or G; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Stunell: Since September 2008, 1,270,000 energy performance certificates have been lodged, for private rented sector properties, of which 108,000 have been F or G rated.
	The English Housing Survey (2008-09) estimates that almost 680,000 (20%) of privately rented homes can be categorised as having an energy efficiency rating of F or G. Across the whole English housing stock there are estimated to be about 3.8 million F or G rated homes and most of these are owner occupied.

TREASURY

Bank Services

Eric Ollerenshaw: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of trends in the number of bank branches on high streets in the last 10 years; what discussions he has had with representatives of banks of the subject; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Hoban: Treasury Ministers and officials meet with a wide range of organisations and individuals in the public and private sectors as part of the usual policymaking process. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such discussions.

Banks: Finance

Michael Meacher: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the cost to the public purse has been of recapitalising banks in each year since 2007, expressed  (a) in current prices and  (b) as a proportion of gross domestic product; and what estimate he has made of the equivalent figures in each of the next five years.

Mark Hoban: Full breakdowns of financial support provided to UK banks are published by HM Treasury on a financial year basis. Details of the support provided for the years 2007-08, 2008-09 and 2009-10 are set out in the Treasury's resource accounts for 2007-08 (HC 539) and 2008-09 (HC 611) and 2009-10 (HC261), respectively. For ease of reference I set out as follows total recapitalisations by year and institution.
	
		
			   2007-08  2008-09  2009-2010  2010 
			  Institution  £ billion  Percentage GDP( 1)  £ billion  Percentage GDP  £ billion  Percentage GDP  £ billion  Percentage GDP 
			 RBS 0 0 15 1.1 30.8 2.1 0 0.0 
			 Lloyds 0 0 4.5 0.3 7.6 0.5 0 0.0 
			 HBOS 0 0 8.5 0.6 0 0.0 0 0.0 
			 Northern Rock plc 0 0 0 0.0 1.4 0.1 0 0.0 
			  0 0 27.9 2.0 39.8 2.8 0 0 
			 (1) GDP in money terms for year stated. Where year not stated 2009-10 GDP has been applied. 
		
	
	The Government published an updated estimate of the net direct cost of all financial sector interventions made by the previous Government in the June 2010 Budget. Using the latest market prices at the time, the cost of the financial sector interventions, net of fees and other income, is estimated at £2 billion. This estimate is based on:
	Recapitalisation: The then prevailing market value of the Government's shareholdings in Lloyds and RBS which implied a cost of £7 billion on these investments net of the value of the Dividend Access Share in RBS and fees received during the recapitalisation and for the provision of contingent capital;
	Asset Protection Scheme: the Asset Protection Agency's central expectation that there will be a net benefit to the taxpayer of at least £5 billion from the Asset Protection Scheme; and
	Other: the expectation that the aggregate costs of all other interventions will not be material after fees, other income and recoveries are taken into account.

Defence Equipment: Sales

William Bain: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the savings in expenditure from disposing of surplus and second-hand government equipment through a service based on the Ministry of Defence's eDisposals service in each of the next five years.

Danny Alexander: The Disposal Services Agency (DSA) has delegated authority to dispose of all of Ministry of Defence surplus equipment in the UK and overseas. Until the Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) has concluded the Government are unable to make an estimate of the volume or type of equipment that the DSA will be asked to dispose of. As part of the SDSR the Government are considering whether the DSA itself should be sold or its functions outsourced in order to secure better value for money for the taxpayer.

Departmental Contracts

Anas Sarwar: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what contracts his Department has awarded to voluntary sector organisations in the last two years; and what the monetary value was of each such contract.

David Gauke: HM Treasury records show that the Department has awarded seven contracts to voluntary sector organisations in the past two years, at the following monetary values: £98,000, £43,000, £33,000, £15,000, £4,000, £3,000 and £1,000 (excluding VAT).

Spending Challenge Website

Andrew Love: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many of the suggestions submitted to the Spending Challenge website were passed on by the cross-Government team for  (a) further consideration and  (b) development into policy proposals.

Danny Alexander: Over 100,000 suggestions were submitted to the Spending Challenge website, including 63,000 from public sector workers. Every single public sector idea was reviewed to ensure it was compliant with the Spending Challenge exercise, so contained a clear idea about how to save money and was of acceptable language. All 34,000 compliant ideas have been sent to the relevant Department for further consideration, with the joint Treasury and Cabinet Office team working with Departments to develop the most promising as policy proposals.
	Members of the public were themselves invited to review and rate the 48,000 ideas submitted by the public. The Government are currently in the process of reviewing which ideas have the most potential and will be sending those through to Departments to be developed further.
	On 10 September, the Government announced that three ideas submitted to the Spending Challenge by members of the public and public sector workers will be implemented as policy by the Government. These ideas are (a) to reduce the number of CRB checks for junior doctors, by taking a more common-sense approach across the NHS, so that junior doctors are not checked repeatedly over a short space of time; (b) to distribute national insurance numbers to people with a letter rather than a plastic card; and (c) to increase the selling of surplus and second hand Government equipment by expanding the use of the Ministry of Defence's eDisposals service for use across all Government Departments.
	The Government will continue to highlight where ideas submitted by the public have been taken into account when the results of the spending review are announced on 20 October.

Spending Challenge Website

Andrew Love: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many ideas submitted to the Spending Challenge website have been considered by Ministers.

Danny Alexander: Over 100,000 suggestions were submitted to the Spending Challenge website, including 63,000 from public sector workers. Every single public sector idea was reviewed by a cross-Government team. Members of the public were themselves invited to review and rate the 48,000 ideas submitted by the public. The Government are currently in the process of reviewing which ideas have the most potential.
	Ministers will continue to review ideas as they are considered for policy announcements. The Government will highlight where ideas submitted by the public have been taken into account when the results of the spending review are announced on 20 October.

Departmental Manpower

David Blunkett: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many  (a) officials and  (b) external advisers are working on the Government's spending review.

Danny Alexander: A substantial number of people are currently working on the spending review across the civil service, but detailed information about numbers is not held centrally.

Equitable Life Ex-gratia Payment Scheme Review

Tessa Munt: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment his Department has made of the factual accuracy of each section of the Chadwick report on Equitable Life; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Hoban: The Government have announced that they will carefully consider Sir John's report and has invited representations from interested parties. This process is ongoing. A response to Sir John Chadwick's advice and the funding available for the scheme will be set out at the spending review on 20 October.

Income Tax: Tax Allowances

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will assess the merits of introducing a deaf person's income tax allowance similar to the blind person's income tax allowance.

David Gauke: The Government keep all aspects of the tax system under review.

Personal Income

Michael Meacher: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has made a recent estimate of the  (a) number and  (b) average income of people in the top (i) 10, (ii) five, (iii) one, (iv) 0.1 and (v) 0.01 per cent. of taxpayers by income.

David Gauke: Information on taxpayers by income for 2010-11 can be found in the following table:
	
		
			  Total income group  Number of taxpayers (thousand)  Average income (£) 
			 (i) Top 10% 3,050 100,000 
			 (ii) Top 5% 1,530 144,000 
			 (iii) Top 1% 305 356,000 
			 (iv) Top 0.1% 31 1,370,000 
			 (v) Top 0.01% 3 5,130,000 
		
	
	Estimates are based upon the 2007-08 Survey of Personal Incomes and are uprated to 2010-11 using June 2010 Budget economic assumptions. Estimates are subject to increasing statistical margins of error as group size declines.

Pregnant Women: Grants

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people in  (a) Sunderland,  (b) Tyne and Wear and  (c) the North East Strategic Health Authority area have received the health in pregnancy grant since its introduction.

David Gauke: This analysis has not been undertaken and is available only at disproportionate cost.

Public Expenditure

Andrew George: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  if he will take steps to  (a) identify and  (b) publish the potential impacts on (i) equality of outcomes, (ii) equality of assets and (iii) equality of access to services of measures relating to its expenditure under consideration in the Spending Review;
	(2)  if his Department will take steps to assess the impacts on  (a) equality of outcomes,  (b) equality of assets and  (c) equality of access to services of measures relating to its expenditure under consideration in the Spending Review.

David Gauke: HM Treasury will ensure the relevant equality considerations are taken into account in the context of its expenditure under consideration in the Spending Review, in compliance with its obligations under the Sex Discrimination Act 1975, the Race Relations Act 1976, and the Disability Discrimination Act 1995.

Public Expenditure: Bolton

David Crausby: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much has been spent from the public purse per head of population in Bolton in each year since 2005.

Danny Alexander: We do not gather information at a constituency, city or town level. The annual Country and Regional Analysis exercise identifies expenditure per head by nine regions in England. We can provide data for the north-west region.
	Total identifiable expenditure per head for the north-west is published in Public Expenditure Statistical Analysis (PESA) 2010, chapter 9, Table 9.2 at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/pespub_country_regional_analysis.htm

Public Expenditure: Wales

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether there are Barnett consequentials for Wales of the Regional Growth Fund announced on 29 June 2010.

Danny Alexander: Funding for the Regional Growth Fund will be determined in the spending review. The Barnett formula will be applied in the spending review in the normal way.

Public Sector: Pensions

Annette Brooke: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what advice he has received on the contractual rights of public service pensioners to have their pensions up-rated annually in line with increases in the retail prices index.

Danny Alexander: holding answer 13 September 2010
	The emergency Budget announced that from April 2011 the indexation of benefits, tax credits and the state second pension will be based on the consumer prices index (CPI) instead of the retail prices index (RPI). This change will also apply to public service pensions through the statutory link to the indexation of the additional pensions, in long-term benefits (including the state second pension).
	The change in future uprating of public service pensions to CPI applies to new pensions coming into payment, pensions currently in payment and to future uprating of deferred pension rights. The change in indexation is forward looking, so future increases in the value of deferred pensions, or pensions in payment will be based on the CPI while past upratings of public service pensions in line with RPI will not be affected.
	Public service pensions will continue to be index linked and continue to protect individual pensions against increases in the cost of living.

Public Service Pensions Commission

Clive Betts: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what definition of accrued rights will be used in the review of public sector pensions; and if he will make a statement.

Danny Alexander: holding answer 13 July 2010
	It will be for the Independent Public Service Pensions Commission to take a view on the precise definition of accrued rights that it uses when making its recommendations in due course.

Tax Collection

Lorely Burt: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what proportion of the individuals and other taxpayers identified in the HM Revenue and Customs Annual Report for 2009-10 as not willing or able to pay tax are those  (a) willing but not able to pay,  (b) able but not willing to pay and  (c) are neither willing nor able to pay;
	(2)  what definition of a willing and able taxpayer HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) uses in the context of its Departmental Strategic Objective 1; and what methods HMRC uses to calculate the number of willing and able taxpayers in the UK.

David Gauke: The definition of 'willing and able' customers is based on the Individuals Prioritisation Project (Individuals Segmentation). This was a research project run in 2007-08 to understand the attitudes and likely behaviours towards HMRC and compliance of the adult UK population covering both tax and benefits administered by HMRC. The methodology used to calculate the number of 'willing and able' customers is outlined in the Individuals Prioritisation Project, available at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/research/index.htm
	The breakdown by segment requested is not currently published; however, the Individuals Prioritisation Project produced a set of 'key discriminating questions' which are used to track the segmentation in an ongoing survey. Sampling for the survey is representative of the UK adult population (over 16s). HMRC plan to publish the survey results later in the autumn.

Tax Increment Financing

Ben Wallace: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has for the future of tax increment financing schemes for major developments.

David Gauke: On 20 September the Deputy Prime Minister announced that the Government will introduce tax increment financing powers for local authorities in England as a means of supporting investment in key local infrastructure and unlocking higher levels of economic growth. The Government will set out more on the framework within which Tax Increment Financing powers will operate through its forthcoming White Paper on sub-national growth after the spending review.

Taxation: Holiday Accommodation

Michael Weir: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the proportion of recipients of furnished holiday lettings relief who were female in the latest period for which figures are available;
	(2)  how many recipients of furnished holiday lettings relief in  (a) Scotland,  (b) England and  (c) Wales claimed in respect of achieved lettings of between 71 and 105 days in each of the last five years;
	(3)  how many properties in respect of which claims for furnished holiday lettings relief is granted offering  (a) more than 10 beds and  (b) fewer than four beds made claims in respect of achieved lettings of between 71 and 105 days in each of the last five years;
	(4)  how many recipients of furnished holiday lettings relief in each local authority area made claims in respect of achieved lettings of between 71 and 105 days in each of the last five years;
	(5)  what discussions he has had with  (a) VisitScotland and  (b) the Scottish Executive on the likely effect of the increase in the qualifying thresholds on achieved lettings for furnished holiday lettings relief on currently eligible properties in Scotland;
	(6)  if he will consider the merits of incorporating into his proposals for furnished holiday lettings relief contingency plans to permit variation and relaxation of the proposed eligibility thresholds to take account of the effect of prolonged periods of extreme adverse weather on the ability of such businesses to continue trading.

David Gauke: For the tax year 2008-09, HMRC estimate that 50% of individuals reporting income from furnished holiday lettings (FHL) were female. Of those individuals offsetting furnished holiday lettings losses against other income, HMRC estimate that 44% were female.
	HM Revenue and Customs does not capture information on the period for which FHL properties are let.
	Government Ministers and officials have discussions and meetings with a wide variety of organisations as part of the process of policy development and delivery. It is not the Government's practice to provide details of all representations made or meetings held.
	FHL is currently the subject of a formal consultation in which a question of the impact of the extension on the eligibility thresholds on different regions of the UK is included. Responses to the consultation will be reviewed carefully, including any suggestions made concerning adverse weather relief contingency plans.

Taxation: Rebates

Stephen Timms: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer under what circumstances in a tax calculation exercise where a taxpayer is assessed as having a higher tax liability because their employer made an error the additional tax liability will be charged to the employer.

David Gauke: The vast majority of employers and pension payers operate PAYE correctly and pay the tax deducted over to HMRC in full and on time.
	Underpayments of tax through PAYE may arise for a wide range of reasons, including on occasion through employer error.
	Any individual who believes PAYE has been operated incorrectly by their employer or pension provider should contact HMRC, who will investigate accordingly.

VAT: Crown Dependencies

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent assessment he has made of the level of  (a) fraudulent claims and  (b) other abuse of low value consignment relief in respect of imports from Crown dependencies; and what steps HM Revenue and Customs has taken to (i) detect and (ii) reduce such abuse in the last two years.

David Gauke: No estimate of the level of fraudulent claims has been made due to the difficulty of establishing the facts. This is because case law in this area as to what amounts to an abusive practice is unclear.
	The United Kingdom Border Agency apply risk-based controls to detect and take action against inaccurate claims to, or abuse of, the import VAT relief and, as I told the House in my written answer to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Bromsgrove (Sajid Javid), on 13 July 2010,  Official Report, column 661W, the Government are actively reviewing the operation of low value consignment relief.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to respond to questions  (a) 11575, tabled on 22 July 2010 and  (b) 12560, tabled on 27 July 2010, on the 2010 Budget; what the reason is for the time taken to reply; and what guidance his Department issues on the period within which replies should be provided to questions for ordinary written answers.

David Gauke: I apologise for the delay in replying to the hon. Member and will arrange for replies to be provided very soon.

CABINET OFFICE

Death: Heart Diseases

Bob Russell: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the estimated cost to the economy is of the premature death of a 55-year-old from a heart attack.

Danny Alexander: I have been asked to reply.
	No such estimate has been made.

Insolvency

John Stevenson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many newly-started businesses failed in  (a) the UK and  (b) Carlisle constituency in each year since 2008.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated September 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning how many newly-started businesses failed in (a) the UK and (b) Carlisle constituency in each year since 2008.
	ONS does not produce information on the number of newly-started businesses that failed in a particular year. However, annual statistics on the number of enterprise births surviving into a particular year are available from the ONS release on Business Demography at:
	www.statistics.gov.uk
	The table below contains the latest statistics available, which show enterprise births in 2006 and 2007 and the number surviving into 2008, for Carlisle and the UK.
	
		
			  Enterprises births in 2006 and 2007 and the number surviving into 2008 for Carlisle and the UK 
			   2006  2007 
			   Births  Number surviving into 2008  Births  Number surviving into 2008 
			 Carlisle 280 230 290 285 
			 UK 255,530 206,160 280,725 267,985

National Income: Carlisle

John Stevenson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what proportion of the gross domestic product of Carlisle constituency is attributable to the activity of  (a) the public sector and  (b) the private sector.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated 15 September 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning the proportion of gross domestic product (GDP) within Carlisle constituency which can be attributed to the public and private sectors (15430).
	I fear that such estimates are not available. The Office for National Statistics does publish estimates of regional Gross Value Added. These are available at NUTS3 level within the EU geographical Nomenclature, for example for East Cumbria. Estimates are available broken down by industry but not between public and private sectors. These are available at
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_economy/NUTS3.xls

National Income: Cumbria

John Stevenson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what recent estimate has been made of the gross domestic product of  (a) Cumbria and  (b) Carlisle constituency.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated 15 September 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning the most recent estimate of gross domestic product for both Cumbria and Carlisle constituency (15432).
	The Office for National Statistics publishes Gross Value Added (GVA) rather than GDP for regions. GVA is measured at current basic prices, which is GDP less taxes on products, plus subsidies on products. The data are produced at three geographical levels using a European classification system called NUTS (Nomenclature of Units for Territorial Statistics). GVA by NUTS2 regions (groups of counties and local authorities) and NUTS3 regions (individual counties and unitary authorities) are available for the period 1995-2007.
	The most recent total GVA estimates for the Cumbria NUTS2 and East Cumbria NUTS3 areas, within which Carlisle constituency falls, are shown in the table below. I fear that estimates relating to Carlisle constituency specifically are not available.
	
		
			  Total gross value added 
			  2007  £ million 
			 NUTS2 Cumbria East 7,379 
			 NUTS3 Cumbria 4,261 
			  Source: Table 3.1, Regional GVA, ONS, available on the National Statistics website at: http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_economy/NUTS3.xls

EDUCATION

Children: Computers

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many households in Washington and Sunderland West constituency  (a) applied for and  (b) received vouchers under the Home Access scheme in the latest period for which figures are available.

Nick Gibb: The Home Access programme provides computers and broadband internet access to low income households. The number of households at 7 September 2010 who have  (a) applied for the programme in Sunderland is 1,975, with 133 being rejected as ineligible, and 147 being returned to the applicant with a request for further information. The number  (b) receiving payment awards is 1,687. The programme is based on local authority areas, so the figures are provided by the Sunderland local authority area as a whole, as the data are not available by parliamentary constituency.

Departmental Public Consultation

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  what steps he is taking to increase the involvement of young members of the public in the making of decisions that affect them taken by  (a) Ministers in his Department,  (b) officials in his Department and  (c) public bodies which fall within his Department's area of responsibility;
	(2)  what mechanisms are in place to take into account the views of young people in his Department's  (a) policy and  (b) funding decisions.

Tim Loughton: The Department is committed to enabling young people to have better opportunities to engage in decision making at national level and in their communities. Ministers and officials actively engage with children and young people on emerging policies that affect them through the Office of the Children's Commissioner and the Department's Children and Youth Board and through our stakeholders in the children and youth sectors. For example, I am in regular contact with members of the UK Youth Parliament through their regional meetings and I will be attending their second debate in the House of Commons on 29 October.
	I am particularly keen to ensure that we listen to the views of the most vulnerable children and recently met a group of care leavers to discuss how we could improve the support we give to young people leaving the care system. In the future I have asked the Children's Rights Director to set up quarterly meetings with groups of looked after children and care leavers, so that I can have an ongoing dialogue with them and take their views into account when making decisions about how to improve the outcomes of children in care.
	We are currently developing our proposals for the future of youth services and on new approaches to giving young people a voice and strengthening youth scrutiny over national and local policy. I have taken action to ensure that young people are integral to the wider consultation process through a range of events, including one I hosted at the Department, organised in partnership with the National Children's Bureau, with around 20 teenagers from different parts of the country.
	Officials from my Department, with colleagues from Communities and Local Government (CLG), are working to assess the impact of current approaches to youth empowerment and democratic engagement and are drawing on the mechanisms and experience of youth organisations to involve young people directly in this work. This will also help to inform decisions about priorities for future funding.
	Both Departments (Department for Education and CLG) are also working with the Office for Civil Society to support the National Citizen Service (NCS) programme. Young people were involved in the work that led to the creation of NCS, and their direct contribution to its continuing development is an essential part of future plans for the programme.

Free School Meals

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent discussions he has had with ministerial colleagues on the continuation of the School Lunch Grant beyond March 2011.

Sarah Teather: We shall take a view on the future of the School Lunch Grant in the context of the Government's spending review, the outcome of which will be announced on 20 October 2010.

School Meals: Finance

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent discussions he has had with ministerial colleagues on the future of the School Food Trust.

Sarah Teather: The future role and responsibilities of the SFT are being considered in line with principles agreed across Government, along with all other arm's length bodies.

HEALTH

Departmental Empty Property

Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the estimated monetary value is of each vacant  (a) building and  (b) parcel of land owned by his Department in each region.

Simon Burns: The current book value of the vacant freehold buildings and parcels of land in each region owned by the Department is set out in the following table. Also included are vacant leasehold properties but no market value has been required to be assessed for these properties. There is an active disposal strategy for the properties.
	
		
			  Region  Address  Asset value (£000) 
			 London St James' Court SW12 1,900 
			  Land at Elm Field Way, W9 2,900 
			  Part, 125 High Street, Croydon (1)- 
			  Part 109-113 Cranbrook Road, Ilford (1)- 
			  Part River House, Maidstone Road, Sidcup (1)- 
			
			 South East Land at Joyce Green, Dartford 850 
			  Land at Almond Villa, Woking 480 
			  Land at Michigan Way, Totton 500 
			  Land at Warneford Meadow, Oxford 500 
			  Land at Princes Road, Redhill 490 
			  Land at Hellingley 550 
			  Part Overline House, Blechynden Terrace, Southampton (1)- 
			  Part Unit 4630, Oxford Business Park, Oxford (1)- 
			  Unit D, Hermitage Court, Hermitage Way, Maidstone (1)- 
			
			 South West Land at Alderney Hospital, Poole 420 
			  Part Unit Dl, Linhay Business Park, Ashburton (1)- 
			  Former Christchurch Health Centre, Christchurch (1)- 
			  Part Riverside House, Welshback, Bristol (1)- 
			  Part Riverside Chambers, Taunton (1)- 
			
			 Eastern Land at former Napsbury Hospital, Napsbury 75 
			  Part Little Plumstead Hospital, Norwich 2,575 
			  Primrose Lane, Huntingdon 585 
			  Land at Harps Close, Sudbury 1,100 
			  Part Harperbury Hospital, Radlett 17,250 
			  Part Cavell House, Caulston Road, Norwich (1)- 
			  34-36 St Botolph's Street, Colchester (1)- 
			  1 Canberra House, London Road, St Albans (1)- 
			
			 East Midlands Land at Memorial Avenue, Worksop 190 
			  Buildings at Leicester Frith, Leicester 75 
			  Warwick Cottage, Melton Mowbray 75 
			  Part Maid Marian House, Maid Marian Way, Nottingham (1)- 
			  Unit A, The Point, Lincoln (1)- 
			  Unit B Edgeley House, Riverside Business Park, Nottingham (1)- 
			  5 Smith Way, Grove Park, South Enderby (1)- 
			
			 West Midlands Land at Princess Royal Hospital, Telford 200 
			  Land at St Editha's, Tamworth 5 
			  Land at Haygate Road, Wellington 85 
			  Land at Bucknall Hospital, Bucknall 75 
			  Part Chapter House South, Abbey Lawn, Shrewsbury (1)- 
			  Part Coventry Point, Market Way, Coventry (1)- 
			  The Coach House, Perdiswell Park, Worcester (1)- 
			
			 North West 80 Lightfoot Street, Chester 1,000 
			  Lakeland College, Lancaster 900 
			  Part 10 Duke Street, Liverpool (1)- 
			  Part West Point, Chester Road, Manchester (1)- 
			  Unit C, Gadbrook Business Park, Northwich (1)- 
			
			 Yorks and Humber Land at Rooley Avenue, Bradford 2,750 
			  Land at Storthes Hall, Kirkburton 187 
			  Land at Darklands Road, Swadlincote 10 
			  Land at Bridlington Road, Driffield 20 
			  Land at Broadgates, Beverley 15 
			  Part Barclay Court, Heavens Walk, Doncaster (1)- 
			  Aire House, Town Street, Rodley (1)- 
			
			 North East Part Northumbria House, Manor Walks, Cramlington (1)- 
			  Part Advance House, Teesdale Business Park, Thornaby (1)- 
			 (1) Not assessed

Eyes: Testing

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he made an estimate of the number of  (a) men and  (b) women who received a free NHS eye test in (i) 2008-09 and (ii) 2009-10.

Simon Burns: The General Ophthalmic Services Activity Statistics for England and Wales, published by the Information Centre for health and social care, showed that in England there were 11.278 million national health service funded sight tests in 2008-09 and 11.812 million NHS funded sight tests in 2009-10. The data published by the NHS Information Centre provide a breakdown of these figures by eligible groups only.
	The data do not allow us to estimate how many of these NHS sight tests were provided to men or women.

General Practitioners: Fees and Charges

Peter Lilley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on how many occasions a general practitioner has been found to have charged a patient for medical services which should have been provided free of charge in the last three years.

Simon Burns: This information is not held centrally. Under the terms of their national health service contract with the local primary care trust, general practitioners (GPs) are prevented from charging their patients a fee for treatment under the contract, or otherwise, except in certain prescribed circumstances. Where a patient is unhappy about a charge being made for any treatment or service provided by their GP, they may raise it through the NHS complaints procedure.

Health: Disadvantaged

Nicky Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent representations he has received on the health effects of debt on people in low income groups.

Anne Milton: We will be publishing a white paper on public health towards the end of the year and will consult on proposals. We recognise the impact of wider determinants on health such as wider economic circumstances and are working closely across government as we develop the public health white paper.

Mental Health Services

Barbara Keeley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how much funding his Department allocated to primary care trusts for the provision of psychological therapies to adults, excluding money allocated through the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies programme, in each year since 2006-07;
	(2)  how many primary care patients were referred to psychological therapies, excluding those provided through the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies programme, in each year since 2006-07.

Paul Burstow: The number of patients referred for psychological therapies is not collected centrally. Patients receive psychological therapy in a variety of settings and the only record in many cases will be in patients' medical notes at their general practitioner surgery.
	With regard to the level of funding for psychological therapies, primary care trusts decide how to spend their baseline allocation in accordance with the needs of their local populations.
	The annual spend on the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies programme is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Financial period  Spend  ( £ million ) 
			 2006-07 3 
			 2007-08 3 
			 2008-09 33 
			 2009-10 103 
			 2010-11 173 
			 Total 315

NHS: Internet

Nicky Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make provision for those with no access to the internet at home to gain access to the interactive NHS Choices website.

Simon Burns: The Department, through NHS Choices, is committed to reaching those who do not have access to the internet in their homes, particularly those people who are both socially and digitally excluded. NHS Choices already has a number of partnerships and runs initiatives with those involved in digital inclusion, including the network of public libraries, UKonline centres and Race Online 2012.
	NHS Choices operates an intermediary engagement and training programme with library staff and other front line workers to reach older groups, families on lower incomes and unemployed people.
	The features of the site are available in other channels: there is a new mobile channel to complement a range of existing SMS 'text message' services including 'Find My Nearest' health service.

NHS: Private Finance Initiative

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what arrangements will be made for private finance initiative contracts held by primary care trusts which are abolished.

Simon Burns: The policy on the transfer of all the rights and liabilities of primary care trusts to successor bodies, including Private Finance Initiative and other service contracts, is being developed as part of the Health Bill.
	The Bill will be introduced into Parliament later this year, and will include greater detail as to the plans in this area.

Nurses: Schools

Ian Swales: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of the contribution of school nurses to the implementation of his Department's NHS White Paper; and if he will make a statement.

Anne Milton: We are currently considering the responses to the consultation on the implementation of the proposals given in the White Paper and will publish a Government response in due course. School nurses make an important contribution to child health and this will continue in the future.

BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS

Aerospace Industry

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what meetings he has had with representatives of the aerospace industry since his appointment.

Mark Prisk: Following his appointment my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State attended the Farnborough International Air Show, where he met representatives from a wide range of aerospace companies of different sizes within the UK supply chain, from primes to small companies, and both national and regional trade associations.
	He has also held individual meetings with representatives of Agusta Westland, BAE Systems, EADS, Rolls-Royce, and ADS the lead trade association for the sector.
	As announced at Farnborough, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State agreed to chair an Aerospace Business Leaders group which will involve representatives from leading UK aerospace companies to consider issues of strategic importance affecting the sector. Dates for the first meeting are being arranged.

Business: Government Assistance

Jack Dromey: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many small and medium-sized enterprises received assistance from the public purse in the form of  (a) grants,  (b) tax relief,  (c) investment allowances and  (d) other financial assistance in (i) 2008-09 and (ii) 2009-10; and what the average grant made under each category was in each such year.

Mark Prisk: The information is as follows:
	 (a) Grants-expenditure on SMEs
	
		
			  Grant for research and development  2008/09  2009/10 
			 Total number of business assists 354 (1)n/a 
			 Average grant offer (£) 74,582.52 (1)n/a 
			 (1) Not available. RDAs have not yet reported aggregate figures for business receiving support in 2009/10. 
		
	
	
		
			  Technology Strategy Board (TSB) 
			  Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs)  2008/09  2009/10 
			  Classic   
			 Number 995 1,025 
			 Average grant (£) 85,985 87,585 
			
			  Shorter   
			 Number 3 82 
			 Average grant (£) 15,453 17,751 
			  Note: Classic projects are 1-3 years duration and shorter projects 10 to 40 weeks (with the latter being launched in July 2009). The above figures represent the number of individual SMEs participating In KTP projects during each year. 
		
	
	
		
			  Collaborative research and development  2008/09  2009/10 
			 Number 235 218 
			 Average grant (£) 91,644 138,991 
		
	
	 (b) Tax reliefs
	Around 2,500 small and medium companies benefit each year from company tax reliefs that are available in the form of payable credits for qualifying expenditure on research and development, land remediation and film production; around a further 6,000 benefit by taking these reliefs in the form of reduced tax liability. Numbers specifically for 2008-09 and 2009-10 are not yet available, but estimated costs are published on the HM Revenue and Customs website:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/tax_expenditures/table1-5.pdf
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/tax_expenditures/table-b1.pdf
	and
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/corporate_tax/randdtcmenu.htm
	 (c) Investment allowances
	HM Revenue and Customs estimate that in 2008-09 (the latest tax year for which data are currently available) around 900,000 small and medium-sized companies and around 1.2 million self-employed individuals and partnerships claimed capital allowances. It is estimated that these companies' tax liabilities for 2008/09 were around £7,000 lower on average and these individuals' and partnerships' tax liabilities for 2008/09 were around £2,000 lower on average as a result of using capital allowances. Figures for 2009/10 are not yet available.
	 (d) Other financial assistance
	
		
			  Small Business Research Initiative  2008/09  2009/10 
			 Number - 239 
			 Average contract (£) 0 59,087 
		
	
	 Grant for Business Investment scheme (GBI)
	The total number and value of the GBI offers accepted and payments made to SMEs are as follows:
	
		
			   2008/09  2009/10 
			   Number  Value (£000)  Average (£000)  Number  Value (£000)  Average (£000) 
			 Offers accepted 289 34,946 121 295 44,434 151 
			 Payments made 617 33,923 55 492 29,033 59 
			  Notes: 1. Payments made during 2008/09 and 2009/10 include payments on prior projects for which the offer was accepted In an earlier year. 2. For the purposes of these figures a SME is defined as having less than 250 employees and an annual turnover not exceeding £50 million. 3. All data relate to tier 1, 2 and 3 areas. 
		
	
	 Small Firms Loan Guarantee
	The Small Firms Loan Guarantee and Enterprise Finance Guarantee are loan guarantees through which the Government guarantees additional lending by accredited lenders including the main high street banks rather than to provide direct assistance to small and medium sized enterprises.
	Under the Small Firms Loan Guarantee, there were 2,368 loans with a total value of £178 million in the financial year 2008/09 (average loan size of £75,350), and 16 loans with a value of £600,000 in 2009/10 (average loan size approximately £37,500). The Small Firms Loan Guarantee was replaced by the Enterprise Finance Guarantee.
	 Enterprise Finance Guarantee
	The Enterprise Finance Guarantee came into operation in January 2009. Between 14 January 2009 and 31 April 2010, 9,237 businesses were offered loans with a value of £947.1 million, of which 8,344 businesses have drawn down loans totalling £850.6 million. The average size of loans drawn is around £101,940.
	 Capital for Enterprise Ltd.
	BIS has assisted 153 businesses in 2008/09 and 170 businesses in 2009/10 through a range of venture capital funds delivered through Capital for Enterprise Ltd. These include the Enterprise Capital Fund programme, the UK Innovation Investment Fund, and the Capital for Enterprise Fund. Details of these funds can be found at the CfEL website:
	www.capitalforenterprise.gov.uk
	 Regional development agency (RDA)
	The regional development agencies (RDAs) provide access to finance support and advice to small business through the business support products provided by Solutions for Business. In 2008/09 RDAs reported that:
	233 small businesses received assistance for equity investment and loans through Finance for Business;
	2,388 small businesses received advice and support through Understanding Finance for Business;
	299 small businesses received micro finance through Small Loans for Business.
	RDAs have not yet reported aggregate figures for business receiving support and investment in 2009/10.

Business: Government Assistance

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent steps his Department has taken to provide support for small businesses.

Mark Prisk: We want to make the UK the best place in the world to start and grow a business, and for the next decade to be the most entrepreneurial and dynamic in Britain's history.
	Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) account for more than 99% of private businesses, and their performance and activity is a key driver of the UK economy. If we are to promote growth in the economy, we need to support small businesses by addressing the challenges they face.
	We are doing so in a number of ways, including: ensuring we have a simpler tax system that rewards endeavour; enabling better access to both debt and equity finance; reducing red tape; and making sure that the support we provide SMEs is delivered in the most effective and efficient way possible.
	Measures announced recently include:
	 Tax measures
	Reducing the headline rate of corporation tax from 28% to 24% over the course of four financial years from April 2011.
	Reducing the small profits rate (formerly known as Small Companies' rate) from 21% to 20% (an increase to 22% was previously planned for April 2011).
	Increasing the threshold tor employer national insurance contributions by £21 above indexation. This will increase the number of employees for whom employers pay no NICs by 650,000.
	Introducing the Regional Employer NICs Holiday for New Businesses-new businesses starting up in selected regions (Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales, and the following areas of England-north-west, north-east, Yorkshire and Humber, west midlands, south-west and the east midlands) will not have to pay the first £5,000 of class 1 NICs due in the first 12 months of employment. This will apply for each of the first 10 employees hired within the first year of business, and will run until September 2013.
	 Measures to help growing businesses access the finance they need
	A £200 million extension to the Enterprise Finance Guarantee (EFG), to benefit around 2,000 extra small businesses. In total, the EFG will now support up to £700 million in bank lending to viable small businesses.
	A new £37.5 million Enterprise Capital Fund to support small businesses with high growth potential-combining both Government and private sector funding.
	Confirmation of a Growth Capital Fund, to provide funding of between £2 million and £10 million for SMEs with strong growth potential.
	As announced in the emergency Budget, we have published a Green Paper on business finance before the summer recess and we are now analysing the responses. We are also expecting recommendations shortly from the Banking Industry Taskforce, led by the British Bankers' Association, which was announced in the Green Paper.
	BIS is also supporting work to develop the capacity of the microfinance sector via the Community Development Finance Association (CDFA). The CDFA's members-Community Development Finance Institutions (CDFIs)-undertake enterprise lending in disadvantaged communities or groups who are unable to access finance from mainstream banks. They are supported by Community Investment Tax Relief (CITR).
	 Measures to reduce red tape for SMEs
	Introducing a 'one-in, one-out' rule whereby no new regulation is brought in without other regulation being cut by a greater amount.
	Undertaking a review of employment law to ensure they offer maximum flexibility; protect fairness; and promote competitiveness.
	Working to make it easier to register a limited company at Companies House by reducing paperwork and moving towards a 'one-click' registration.
	As an interim step towards 'one click registration', by April 2011 we have announced that we will launch a one-stop-shop portal for starting a company through which business owners can access an online incorporation service and access to registration for PAYE. By end 2011 we will introduce a single interaction form to enable businesses to register for multiple taxes online and to authorise tax agents.
	We have set up the new Sub-Committee on Reducing Regulation, with a remit to reduce the burden of regulation on business. It has already announced a major review of regulations in the pipeline.
	June's Budget also announced regulatory sunset clauses: regulations will cease to be law after seven years (unless they are explicitly set to have a longer timeframe). They may only be extended beyond this period if Parliament has confirmed they are still necessary and proportionate.
	 Reviewing business support
	As part of the spending review, we are considering all aspects of expenditure, including priorities for providing business support and the channels through which it can be most effectively and efficiently delivered.
	We are committed to renewing and strengthening local economies-and are enabling business and local authorities located in genuine economic areas to come together to form Local Enterprise Partnerships.
	We asked local authorities and business to put forward outline proposals for partnerships. Over the coming weeks Ministers will consider the proposals received in detail, looking at how they will support economic growth, before providing feedback to partnerships ahead of the publication of the White Paper on sub-national economic growth and the introduction of the Localism Bill.

Departmental Contracts

Anas Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what contracts his Department has awarded to voluntary sector organisations in the last two years; and what the monetary value was of each such contract.

Edward Davey: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Manpower

Gregg McClymont: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many officials his Department has appointed on fixed-term contracts since 7 May 2010.

Edward Davey: Since 7 May, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has appointed four people on fixed-term contracts.

Economic Growth

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when he expects to publish his Department's White Paper on Sub National Growth; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Prisk: The Government will publish its White Paper on sub-national growth soon.

Email: Fraud

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to prevent scams perpetrated on UK residents through emails originating outside the UK.

Edward Davey: £4 million of funding over three years is being provided for the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) and Trading Standards Services to enable them to target these types of criminals and tackle online fraud, such as e-mail scams that encourage people to send money in order to claim lottery winnings or a big prize. This funding is providing both specialist IT equipment and specialist training to ensure that enforcers have the skills required to undertake investigations.
	The OFT has recently consulted on a longer term national strategy for e-consumer protection to be delivered by the end of 2010. The strategy will enable enforcement agencies to work together even more effectively and ensure better targeting and co-ordination of e-protection activities and there are no overlaps.
	The Government are currently reviewing whether enforcers have the necessary powers to tackle e-crime against consumers, against the backdrop that many consumer laws were implemented before the internet age.

Employment Agencies: EU Law

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what discussions he had with representative bodies on the implementation in October 2011 and effects of the European Agency Workers Directive; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Davey: I have met various bodies representing the views of hirers, agencies and agency workers to discuss the impact of this directive. Consequently I am aware of different points of view expressed about certain aspects of the Agency Workers Regulations 2010 which implement the European Agency Workers Directive and the Government are currently considering the way forward.

Industrial Development Boards

David Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 16 September 2010,  Official Report, column 1263W, on industrial development boards, what role he expects the private sector to take at sub-regional level in undertaking the functions previously carried out by the advisory panels; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Prisk: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave on 16 September 2010,  Official Report, column 1263W.

EU Consumer Credit Directive

Paul Maynard: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent assessment he has made of the likely effects on the consumer credit market of the European Consumer Credit Directive.

Edward Davey: An Impact Assessment accompanied the regulations implementing the Consumer Credit Directive when they were laid before Parliament on 30 March 2010. The amending regulations laid before Parliament on 5 August 2010 to correct errors in the original regulations did not change the intention of those regulations and so no new Impact Assessment was prepared.

Members: Correspondence

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when he plans to respond to the letter from the hon. Member for Bridgend of 20 July 2010 on letters to a constituent from Getty Images.

Edward Davey: We regret that we can find no record of this correspondence. If the hon. Member could send me the correspondence again we will do this as a matter of urgency.

Paternity Leave

Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many businesses with less than 10 employees his Department consulted on its decision to retain additional paternity leave.

Edward Davey: Regulations introducing Additional Paternity Leave were made by Parliament in April 2010, with effect for parents of children due on or after 3 April 2011. The policy they implement was subject to a number of consultation exercises under the previous administration, to which small businesses and their representatives made a significant contribution. Details of the consultations, including responses from business, are available at:
	www.bis.gov.uk
	The coalition is proceeding with the introduction of Additional Paternity Leave as an interim measure towards the fulfilling of our commitment to encourage shared parenting from the earliest stages of pregnancy-including the promotion of a system of flexible parental leave.
	We want to give parents and employers the flexibility they need-that is why we will be consulting on radical ideas on how to make shared parental leave work not just for parents but also the businesses that employ them.
	It is estimated that less than 3% of small businesses will be affected by Additional Paternity Leave over the course of the Parliament.

Royal Mail

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will undertake a public consultation before bringing forward proposals on the future of Royal Mail.

Edward Davey: No. The Postal Services Bill, which has just been introduced in Parliament, draws heavily on Richard Hooper's analysis and recommendations from his updated report, published in September. It is clear from the report that Royal Mail faces serious problems and the need for action to protect the universal postal service is greater than ever.
	Richard Hooper canvassed a wide range of interested stakeholders during his year-long review of the postal services sector in 2008 (commissioned under the previous Government), including taking two rounds of written evidence. When producing his update, he again sought the views of all those who had contributed to his original report and met all the leading stakeholders.
	Our approach to Royal Mail and the postal market is fact and evidenced based.

Vocational Training: Engineering

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to increase the level of skills in the power systems engineering sector in the  (a) short and  (b) long-term.

John Hayes: The Government recognises the extent of the skills challenge in the power sector which was underlined by several leading figures in the sector at "The Energy Forum" held on October 11 this year. The Government's response to the challenge, both in the long and the short term, is through its joint support and funding for the National Skills Academy for Power (NSAP) in collaboration with power sector employers.
	The Academy is addressing immediate skills gaps at the same time as assessing longer term demand for skills and optimising training capacity to deliver against identified need. Alongside developing qualifications and providing training materials for the sector, the Academy is establishing a network of quality assured education and skills providers to develop the capacity, capability, quality and consistency of training for a sustainable UK power sector.
	NSAP will also work closely with the Power Academy, which is sponsored by the Institution of Engineering Technologies, to improve the supply of graduate electrical engineers from higher education. The Power Academy represents a collaboration of 18 power sector employers and seven UK universities, together with the Institute of Engineering Technologies and the Energy and Utilities Sector Skills Council.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Carer's Allowance

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he has made an estimate of the number of  (a) men and  (b) women who received carer's allowance in (i) 2008-09 and (ii) 2009-10.

Maria Miller: The requested information is as follows:
	
		
			  As at February each year  Male  Female  Total 
			 2009 131,500 371,000 502,500 
			 2010 142,860 388,030 530,890 
			  Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Caseloads for CA show the number of people in receipt of an allowance, and exclude people with entitlement where the payment has been suspended, for example if they are in hospital or not in payment due to payment of another income replacement benefit.  Source: DWP Information Directorate Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study 100% data.

Child Support

Stephen McPartland: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what  (a) monetary value and  (b) proportion of child support payments went unpaid in each of the last five years.

Maria Miller: The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission is responsible for the child maintenance system. I have asked the Child Maintenance Commissioner to write to the hon. Member with the information requested and I have seen the response.
	 Letter from Stephen Geraghty, dated October 2010:
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Child Maintenance Commissioner.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what (a) monetary value and (b) proportion of child support payments went unpaid in each of the last five years.
	Robust management information is not available on the monetary value of unpaid child maintenance payments or the proportion of child support payments that went unpaid in the last five years. Table 1 in Annex A shows the number of cases which paid any requested maintenance (including maintenance direct arrangements), those that failed to pay at all and those that were classed as assessed but not charging in the quarter to June each year.
	
		
			  Annex A-table 1: Compliant, nil compliant and assessed not charging caseload 
			  Quarter to  June each year :  Cases with maintenance liability  Compliant caseload  Percentage of liable caseload  Nil compliant caseload  Percentage of liable caseload  Assessed not charging caseload  Percentage of liable caseload 
			 2006 736,600 470,300 64 139,700 19 126,600 17 
			 2007 804,500 520,800 65 170,600 21 110,400 14 
			 2008 852,700 578,700 68 176,900 21 97,100 11 
			 2009 835,900 604,200 72 151,000 18 80,700 10 
			 2010 843,100 648,400 77 138,900 16 55,900 7 
			  Notes: 1. Figures rounded to nearest 100. Percentages rounded to nearest 1%. 2. Cases are classed as compliant if they are currently open, have been charged and paid money via the collection service (either regular maintenance and/or arrears) over the preceding quarter. 3. Compliant caseload includes cases where a maintenance direct arrangement between the non resident parent and parent with care has been agreed. 4. Nil compliant means that payments were expected but none were received. 5. Cases are classed as assessed and not charging (that is to say they have a positive liability but no active charging schedule is in place) if there have been no charges or receipts via the collection service over the period.

Departmental Freedom of Information

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps his Department is taking to improve its level of compliance with the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Steve Webb: The Department takes very seriously its obligations under the Freedom of Information Act. It has experienced a significant increase in the number of Freedom of Information requests received. Despite this, internal monitoring shows that more than 90% of the Department's Freedom of Information requests were dealt with on time in June, July and August this year, the most recent months for which figures are available. The Department is also committed to increasing the transparency of its responses.

Departmental Official Hospitality

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much his Department spent on hospitality for events hosted by each Minister in his Department in July 2010.

Chris Grayling: No money has been spent by this Department in relation to hospitality events hosted by its Ministers during July 2010.

Employment Schemes: Peterborough

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he has made an estimate of the number of people in Peterborough constituency who were participating in  (a) community task force,  (b) routes into work and  (c) work-focused training programmes on 30 April 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Grayling: The answers are as follows:
	 (a) The number participating in Community Task Force on the 30 April 2010 is not available. However, 90 people are recorded as having started Community Task Force in the Peterborough constituency during the period October 2009 to July 2010.
	 (b) Information on starts to Routes into Work is not available.
	 (c) The number participating in the Young Person's Guarantee Work Focused Training on the 30 April 2010 is not available. However, 520 people are recorded as having started Work Focused Training in the East of England region during the period October 2009 to July 2010.

Employment Schemes: Peterborough

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent progress has been made on his Department's Work programme, with particular reference to Peterborough constituency; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Grayling: The commercial process for the Work programme is on track. The Invitation to Tender for the Framework for Employment Related Support Services ("the Framework") was published on the 23 August, and we are currently evaluating tenders. We expect to be able to announce who has been successful before the end of the year. The Framework will be divided into 11 geographical lots: the East of England lot includes Peterborough.
	Once the announcement has been made regarding which organisations have gained access to the Framework, we will run a mini-competition for those organisations on the Framework interested in delivering the Work programme.

Fuel Poverty: Cancer

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of people diagnosed with cancer in fuel poverty who  (a) receive and  (b) do not receive disability living allowance.

Steve Webb: The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) currently have the governmental lead on fuel poverty. The detailed information as to how many people with a cancer diagnosis are living in fuel poverty and in receipt of disability living allowance (DLA) is not currently available.
	People with an appropriate(1) cancer diagnosis are classified as long-term sick in the English Households Survey(2) that underpins DECC's analytical work on fuel poverty. While this survey records some information around the health of the householders, it does not specifically ask about a diagnosis of cancer, which could be deemed intrusive. In addition, the information recorded around health of householders in the survey is not robust enough to disaggregate fuel poverty data by individual types of illness.
	People diagnosed with cancer are included in the fuel poverty vulnerable group (which includes the elderly, households containing children and those who are sick or disabled).
	The detailed tables of their Annual Report on Fuel Poverty Statistics 2009(3) show that in England in 2007-the latest year for which figures are available-around 17% (1.1 million) of households containing somebody who was disabled or long-term sick were in fuel poverty.
	The publication also suggests that of approximately 15.6 million vulnerable households in England in 2007, around 2.7 million were in fuel poverty. Of these, around 73% (2.0 million) of households were in receipt of either means-tested benefits, tax credits, attendance allowance or DLA.
	(1) Not all cancer diagnoses will be related to long-term illness.
	(2) http://www.communities.gov.uk/housing/housingresearch/housing surveys/englishhousingsurvey/
	(3 )http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/statistics/fuelpov_stats/fuelpov_stats.aspx

Independent Living Fund

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has for the future of the Independent Living Fund; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Miller: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for South Down (Ms Ritchie) on 4 October 2010,  Official Report, column 1341W.
	As set out in my statement to the House on 26 July 2010,  Official Report, columns 77-78WS, we will consider the long-term future of the Independent Living Fund as part of the forthcoming spending review, working with the trustees of the fund, disabled people's organisations, and other key stakeholders including local authorities.

Independent Living Fund

Fiona O'Donnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which disability organisations the Minister for Disabled People has met to discuss the future of the Independent Living Fund; and on what dates.

Maria Miller: I have met with a number of disability organisations and other bodies to discuss the future of the Independent Living Fund: the Chair of Equality 2025 on 8 June 2010; the All Party Parliamentary Group on Disability on 21 June 2010; and the Disability Charities Consortium and the Disabled People's Organisations Group on 28 July 2010. I have also met with other disability organisations individually, including speaking with the National Centre for Independent Living (NCIL) most recently on 13 October 2010, and will continue to do so as we consider the future on the Independent Living Fund in the context of the forthcoming spending review.
	I have also had meetings with the Trustees and management of the Independent Living Fund on 1 June 2010, 22 July 2010 and 15 September 2010 and held telephone meetings with devolved administrations.

Jobseeker's Allowance: Lone Parents

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many lone parents are in receipt of jobseeker's allowance in Kilmarnock and Loudoun constituency.

Chris Grayling: In July 2010 there were 175 lone parents claiming jobseeker's allowance in Kilmarnock and Loudoun.
	The figure has been rounded to the nearest five.

Lone Parents: Advisory Services

Helen Grant: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps his Department has taken to support access to independent advice services for single parent families in the last 12 months.

Maria Miller: Jobcentre Plus offers lone parents advice and practical support with job seeking, training opportunities, in-work income and child care options. Support may include referral to a wide range of local independent advice services.
	The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission, for which the Department for Work and Pensions is the sponsoring body, provides, through Child Maintenance Options, impartial information and support to parents about how to make a child's maintenance arrangement. The Options service also provides information and support on other issues parents might face in making maintenance arrangements, such as housing, legal and money concerns. In addition, the service can signpost parents to organisations that provide specialist help and advice.
	The Child Poverty Unit, jointly sponsored by the Department for Work and Pensions, the Department for Education and HM Treasury, is conducting a pilot looking at how best to co-ordinate local services for separating and recently separated parents and their children so that access to financial, practical, legal and emotional support is speeded up, keeping the negative impact of separation on children's outcomes to a minimum. The pilot is running in 10 local authority areas and focuses on partnership working and aligning activity to improve outcomes.

Older People: Anniversaries

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the cost of  (a) payments under and  (b) administration of a scheme under which people are sent £1,000 on their 100th birthdays.

Steve Webb: The cost of such a payment would be around £4.9 million in 2010, rising to £10.2 million in 2020. High-level estimates of the full cost of administrating such a scheme are £52,000 in 2010 rising to £128,000 by 2020.
	The cost of the payment and its administration would continue to increase over time in line with changing demographics.
	 Note:
	Estimates are derived using Office of National Statistics 2008-based population projections. The estimated administration cost assumes the centenarian is already in receipt of state pension or pension credit, living in Great Britain, and represents the costs of making an additional clerical payment.

Poverty: Children

Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many children were living in poverty  (a) before housing costs and  (b) after housing costs in Gateshead borough in each year since 2000.

Maria Miller: Estimates of the number and proportion of children living in poverty are published in the Households Below Average Income (HBAI) series. HBAI uses household income adjusted (or 'equivalised') for household size and composition, to provide a proxy for standard of living.
	As they are based on survey data, child poverty estimates published in HBAI only allow breakdowns to Government Office Region and analysis at local authority level is not possible. However, figures for the North East of England are set out in Table 1.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number and percentage of children living in households with less than 60% of contemporary median household income for the North East of England, before housing costs and after housing costs 
			   Before Housing Costs  After Housing Costs 
			  Period  Number (million)  Percentage  Number (million)  Percentage 
			 2000-01 to 2002-03 0.2 32 0.2 36 
			 2001-02 to 2003-04 0.2 30 0.2 33 
			 2002-03 to 2004-05 0.2 31 0.2 34 
			 2003-04 to 2005-06 0.2 28 0.2 32 
			 2004-05 to 2006-07 0.2 28 0.2 33) 
			 2005-06 to 2007-08 0.1 28 0.2 33 
			 2006-07 to 2008-09 0.1 28 0.2 34 
			  Notes: 1. These statistics are based on the Households Below Average Income series, sourced from the Family Resources Survey. 2. All estimates are based on survey data and are therefore subject to uncertainty. Small differences should be treated with caution as these will be affected by sampling error and variability in non-response. 3. The reference period for Households Below Average Income figures are single financial years. Three survey years have been combined as regional single-year estimates are subject to volatility. 4. The income measures used to derive the estimates shown employ the same methodology as the Department for Work and Pensions publication 'Households Below Average Income' (HBAI) series, which uses disposable household income, adjusted (or 'equivalised') for household size and composition, as an income measure as a proxy for standard of living. 5. For the Households Below Average Income series, incomes have been equivalised using Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) modified equivalisation factors.  Source: Households Below Average Income, DWP

Social Security Benefits

Liz Kendall: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he has made a recent estimate of the number of households in each  (a) parliamentary constituency and  (b) region in respect of which benefits of over £500 a week are claimed.

Chris Grayling: The information requested is not available at a parliamentary constituency level.
	The information is available for Great Britain. Latest estimates show that in 2010-11 there are around 100,000 working age households in receipt of more than £500 a week in all benefits and tax credits, including disability living allowance. If disability living allowance is excluded, then around 50,000 working age households are in receipt of more than £500 a week.
	The Chancellor's announcement of a benefit cap was informed by high-level consideration of the broad impacts. We are now working up the more detailed design of the caps as part of the spending review. When we introduce legislation for the implementation of the caps, we shall publish an impact assessment.
	 Note
	All figures are rounded to the nearest 50,000.
	 Source
	DWP Policy Simulation Model, based on the 2008-09 Family Resources Survey data.

Social Security Benefits: Appeals

Eilidh Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many benefit appeals lodged with his Department had yet to be referred to the first-tier tribunal as at 14 June 2010.

Maria Miller: The following table shows the number of appeals that have been lodged in Department of Work and Pensions but have not been referred to Tribunal Service.
	
		
			  Appeals outstanding in Department of Work and Pensions 
			   Number 
			 Bereavement benefit 50 
			 Disablement benefit 200 
			 Employment and support allowance 29,700 
			 Incapacity benefit 4,700 
			 Income support 3,800 
			 Jobseekers allowance 6,500 
			 Maternity allowance 1,300 
			 Social fund 700 
			 Disability living allowance 9,600 
			 Attendance allowance 500 
			 Carers allowance 400 
			 State pension 1,600 
			  Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 100. 2. The outstanding figures for disability living allowance and attendance allowance appeals is for week ending 11 June 2010, which is the nearest available date to 14 June. 3. The outstanding figures for all other benefit appeals is for the end of June, which is the nearest available date to 14 June. 
		
	
	The source of the data is the Management Information System programme (MISP). MISP is the departmental performance management, data capture and reporting tool. This type of internal management information does not form part of the official statistics outputs that are released by the Department in accordance with the UK Statistics Authority's Code of Practice.

Social Security Benefits: Equality

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to undertake a gender equality impact assessment in relation to his proposals to introduce a universal credit.

Maria Miller: Legislation places a duty on all public authorities to pay due regard to the need to promote gender equality. The Government are strongly committed to this principle. My Department undertakes equality impact assessments on any changes to departmental policies and practices and has a well established set of processes to ensure these have a strong evidence base. When we publish our welfare reform proposals we will also be publishing an impact assessment of these changes, which will include an equality impact assessment.

Social Security Benefits: Kent

Tracey Crouch: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people aged 18 to 24 years in  (a) Medway and  (b) Chatham and Aylesford constituency had been in receipt of benefits for (i) less than six months, (ii) six to 12 months, (iii) 12 to 18 months and (iv) 18 months and over on the latest date for which figures are available.

Maria Miller: Table 1 provides details of the number of 18 to 24-year-old claimants in Medway local authority and Chatham and Aylesford parliamentary constituency. The data have been split by working-age statistical group and duration on benefit, and are for February 2010, the latest data available at present.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of 18 to 24-year-old claimants by working-age statistical group and duration on benefit-February 2010 
			  Statistical g roup  Duration  Great Britain  Medway  Chatham and Aylesford 
			 All benefits All 874,750 4,510 1,780 
			  Up to 6 months 419,120 1,920 790 
			  6 months up to 12 months 132,620 840 310 
			  12 months to 18 months 60,330 400 140 
			  18 months and over 262,680 1,350 540 
			  
			 Job Seeker All 445,690 2,400 930 
			  Up to 6 months 336,760 1,530 630 
			  6 months up to 12 months 77,610 590 210 
			  12 months to 18 months 18,850 190 60 
			  18 months and over 12,470 90 30 
			  
			 Incapacity benefits All 158,730 700 270 
			  Up to 6 months 32,890 120 50 
			  6 months up to 12 months 16,470 70 30 
			  12 months to 18 months 10,620 60 20 
			  18 months and over 98,750 440 170 
			  
			 Lone Parent All 171,560 870 370 
			  Up to 6 months 27,860 140 60 
			  6 months up to 12 months 29,420 140 60 
			  12 months to 18 months 23,680 110 40 
			  18 months and over 90,600 480 200 
			  
			 Carer All 18,930 90 30 
			  Up to 6 months 3,780 20 * 
			  6 months up to 12 months 3,820 20 * 
			  12 months to 18 months 2,710 20 10 
			  18 months and over 8,610 40 20 
			  
			 Others on income-related benefit All 29,560 150 70 
			  Up to 6 months 16,340 100 50 
			  6 months up to 12 months 3,600 20 10 
			  12 months to 18 months 3,030 10 * 
			  18 months and over 6,590 30 10 
			  
			 Disabled All 50,230 300 120 
			  Up to 6 months 1,480 10 * 
			  6 months up to 12 months 1,690 10 * 
			  12 months to 18 months 1,430 10  
			  18 months and over 45,630 270 100 
			  
			 Bereaved All 40 * * 
			  Up to 6 months * * * 
			  6 months up to 12 months 10 * * 
			  12 months to 18 months 10 * * 
			  18 months and over 20 * * 
			 "*" Denotes nil or negligible.  Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. Totals may not sum due to rounding. 2. Benefits are arranged hierarchically and claimants are assigned to the uppermost benefit which they receive. Thus a person who is a lone parent and receives Incapacity Benefit would be classified as 'Incapacity benefits', whereas someone receiving both Bereavement Benefit and Disability Living Allowance would be classified as 'Disabled'. For this reason the group 'Lone Parent', for example, will not contain all lone parents claiming Income Support. Some will be included in the 'Employment and Support Allowance and incapacity benefits' group instead: Job Seeker-Claimant of Job Seekers Allowance Incapacity Benefits-Claimant of either Incapacity Benefit, Severe Disablement Allowance or Employment and Support Allowance Lone Parent-Claimant of Income Support with a child under 16 and no partner Carer-Claimant of Carer's Allowance Others on Income related benefit-Other Income Support claimants (including IS disability premiums) or Pension Credit claimant Disabled-Claimant of either Disability Living Allowance, Attendance Allowance or Industrial Injuries Benefits Bereaved-Claimant of either Widow's Benefit, Bereavement Benefit or Industrial Death Benefit 3. Lone Parent Obligations were introduced from 24 November 2008 affecting the age of the youngest child. Further details are provided here: http://83.244.183.180/100pc/wa/tabtool_wa.html 4. Parliamentary Constituency figures are using 2010 Parliamentary Constituency boundaries  Source: DWP Information Directorate 100% WPLS

Social Security Benefits: Medical Examinations

Guto Bebb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will take steps to ensure that those contracted by his Department to provide services for individuals with speech and communication difficulties offer a bilingual service in Wales; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Grayling: It is standard practice to ensure that all the services we provide the public in Wales are available in Welsh, and that out customers are aware of this fact.
	To this end a comprehensive Welsh Language Schedule is included in the Department's standard terms and conditions with which our contractors must comply when delivering services to the public in Wales.

Social Security Benefits: Scotland

Margaret Curran: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he has made a recent estimate of the number of households in  (a) Scotland,  (b) Glasgow and  (c) Glasgow East constituency which receive more than £500 a week in (i) all benefits and (ii) all benefits excluding disability living allowance.

Chris Grayling: The information requested is not available, as sample sizes are too small to yield reliable results for Scotland, and is not available at a parliamentary constituency level.
	The information is available for Great Britain. Latest estimates show that in 2010-11 there are:
	(i) around 100,000 working age households in receipt of more than £500 a week in all benefits and tax credits, including disability living allowance, and
	(ii) around 50,000 working age households in receipt of more than £500 a week in all benefits and tax credits, excluding disability living allowance.
	The Chancellor's announcement of a benefit cap was informed by high-level consideration of the broad impacts. We are now working up the more detailed design of the caps as part of the spending review. When we introduce legislation for the implementation of the caps, we shall publish an impact assessment.
	 Note
	All figures are rounded to the nearest 50,000.
	 Source
	DWP Policy Simulation Model, based on the 2008-09 Family Resources Survey data.

Temporary Employment

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what effect his decision to grant contract extensions to some customer-facing, fixed-term employees whose positions were due to end over summer 2010 has had on his Department's expenditure for 2010-11; and what account has been taken of this effect in his Department's budget.

Chris Grayling: The Department has used fixed-term appointments (FTA) to manage the temporary increase in workloads caused by the recession. Extensions to approximately 600 FTA contracts have been made in customer-facing areas during the summer months at a cost of around £3 million. The decision to extend these contracts was made due to higher than anticipated staff attrition rate so with less staff in the Department they were contained within original budgets.

Winter Fuel Payments

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he has made an estimate of the number of  (a) men and  (b) women who received winter fuel allowance payments in (i) 2008-09 and (ii) 2009-10.

Steve Webb: The information for 2008-09 is available on page 1 of the document Winter Fuel Payments 2008-09, Final Individual Payments by GOR/LA and Parliamentary Constituency. This is available in the House of Commons Library.
	The information for 2009-10 is available on page 1 of the document "Winter Fuel Payment recipients 2009-2010 by Parliamentary Constituencies and Gender (All)". I am today placing a copy in the House of Commons Library together with other documents in the Winter Fuel Payments 2009-10 series. They are also available on the internet at:
	http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/index.php?page=wfp

Work Capability Assessment

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 6 September 2010,  Official Report, column 104W, on work capability assessment, if he will place in the Library a copy of the contract between his Department and Atos Healthcare which contains details of the quality targets relating to audit of work capability assessments.

Chris Grayling: An updated copy of the Medical Services Contract between Atos Healthcare and the Department for Work and Pensions has been placed in the Library:
	http://deposits.parliament.uk

Work Capability Assessment: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Margaret Curran: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether the agency contracted to provide medical examinations as part of the Work Capability Assessment has been issued with specific guidance on the assessment of persons presenting a diagnosis of myalgic encephalomyelitis or chronic fatigue syndrome.

Chris Grayling: All health care professionals working for Atos Healthcare are required to read an evidence- based protocol on chronic fatigue syndrome as part of their induction training. This was last updated in January 2010. In addition, all health care professionals are required to engage in a programme of continuing medical education which includes two modules on chronic fatigue syndrome. These were last updated in April 2009 and March 2010 respectively.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Pakistan

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment he has made of the humanitarian situation in Pakistan; and if he will make a statement.

Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment he has made of the humanitarian situation in Pakistan; and if he will make a statement.

Jason McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his latest assessment is of the humanitarian situation in Pakistan; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Mitchell: The situation in Pakistan is still evolving. In some areas of the country early recovery is beginning, while in other areas emergency relief is still needed, particularly in Sindh province. My Department continues to closely monitor the situation to identify and deliver aid appropriately.
	For further details I refer my hon. Friends to my written statement of 12 October 2010,  Official Report, column 12WS.

Cameroon: Forced Marriage

Jim Sheridan: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will take steps to ensure that aid provided to Cameroon by his Department does not support circumstances whereby young women may be forced into marriage.

Stephen O'Brien: The Department for International Development (DFID) has a small programme in Cameroon focused solely on the forestry sector. We are confident that our activities do not support an environment that encourages the forced marriage of young women.

Departmental Carbon Emissions

Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether he has made an estimate of the change in the level of carbon dioxide emissions from his Department since May 2010; and what steps he plans to take to meet his Department's target of reducing such emissions by 10 per cent. by May 2011.

Alan Duncan: Carbon emissions arising from energy consumption by the Department for International Development's (DFID's) two UK offices during the first half of financial year 2010-11 were 8% lower than the corresponding period of 2009-10.
	DFID is implementing a number of measures to reduce our energy consumption, including: replacing some internal lighting with energy efficient LED fittings; rationalising the number of IT servers; reorganising our London office to reduce our space requirement; reviewing and reducing the number of hours heating and cooling system are in operation; and installing a Green Roof at our East Kilbride office to improve thermal insulation.

Departmental Contracts

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the monetary value is of contracts his Department has awarded to each  (a) management consultancy and  (b) IT company since 7 May 2010.

Alan Duncan: All ICT contracts issued by the Department for International Development (DFID) with a contract award value of £10,000 or above have been published on the DFID website since July 2010. Details are available at:
	http://www.dfid.gov.uk/Working-with-DFID/Procurement/ICT-contracts/
	DFID consultancy contracts are categorised in line with the Office of Government Commerce's (OGC) definition of consultancy. DFID has introduced a new 'Business Case Process' to manage the use of consultancy in line with the central Government freeze. Since May 2010 there has been a significant drop in the number of contracts awarded within the consultancy category and therefore we expect to see a significant reduction in consultancy spend for the financial year 2010-11.

Departmental Manpower

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many people his Department employs to check whether overseas authorities are correctly appropriating their aid receipts.

Alan Duncan: The Department for International Development (DFID) requires all grant recipients to provide audited financial statements confirming the use of funds. In addition, our programme staff conduct annual monitoring reviews to assess the use of funds.
	The Department does not, however, record the amount of time that individual staff members allocate to these responsibilities, and it is not therefore possible to estimate the total number of full time equivalent staff assigned to this role.

Departmental Manpower

David Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many  (a) officials of his Department and  (b) external advisers are working on his Department's review of the Government's overseas aid spending.

Andrew Mitchell: The Department for International Development (DFID) is conducting two reviews: the Bilateral Aid Review (BAR) and the Multilateral Aid Review (MAR). It has also commissioned a third independent review of the UK's humanitarian emergency response capability and is providing the Secretariat for this review. The teams co-ordinating the BAR and MAR both consist of four officials. Two external reviewers will also act as peer reviewers during the course of the MAR. The Humanitarian and Emergency Response Review (HERR) team is made up of six officials, one consultant and one secondee from the Development Assistance Research Associates. In addition to these teams, staff across DFID are providing inputs into all three reviews and it is therefore not possible to determine the total number of officials working on these reviews without incurring disproportionate cost.

Overseas Aid

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many meetings he has had with  (a) the President of the World Bank,  (b) the Head of the Global Fund and  (c) the UN Relief Co-ordinator on organisational reform and future funding from his Department since 7 May 2010; and on what dates.

Andrew Mitchell: I met with Robert Zoellick, President of the World Bank, on 2 June in London, 25 June in Washington, 20 September in the margins of the Millennium Development Goal summit in New York, and on 8 and 9 October at the annual meetings in Washington. Aspects of organisational reform and future funding were covered during these meetings.
	Michel Kazatchkine, Head of the Global Fund, and I discussed organizational reform and future funding during a meeting on 17 August. We also met in New York in the margins of the MDG summit.
	I met with the former UN Under-Secretary General Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Sir John Holmes, on 19 August and 9 September. Aspects of organisational reform and future funding were covered in the discussion. I also met with Baroness Valerie Amos before she took up the post, on 7 July, and then on 5 October, and will meet her again on 19 October.
	I speak to them all on a regular basis in the ordinary course of business.

Overseas Aid

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development when he plans to bring forward legislative proposals to require the Government to spend 0.7 per cent. of gross national income on overseas aid in each year from 2013.

Andrew Mitchell: The coalition Government have made a very clear pledge to meet the target of spending 0.7% of Gross National Income (GNI) as Official Development Assistance (ODA) from 2013. We will enshrine this spending commitment in law as soon as the parliamentary timetable allows.

Pakistan: Floods

David Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what contribution his Department has made to humanitarian relief efforts following the recent floods in Pakistan.

Andrew Mitchell: I refer the hon. Member to my oral statement of 7 September 2010,  Official Report , column 187, and my written statement of 12 October 2010,  Official Report , column 12WS.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

BBC External Services

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent research his Department has  (a) evaluated and  (b) commissioned on the effects on each receiving country of the BBC World Service (i) broadcast radio and (ii) foreign language websites.

Jeremy Browne: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has not commissioned any recent research on the effects of the BBC World Service.
	The BBC World Service itself recently conducted independent research into the audiences of four of its major markets: Pakistan, Egypt, Kenya and Turkey, in addition to its on-going programme of audience measurement and evaluation.

BBC Russian Service

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the feasibility of the BBC World Service Russian Service resuming broadcasts to Russia in circumstances in which the frequencies currently used by that service are relinquished.

Jeremy Browne: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has not carried out any such feasibility study.

BBC Russian Service

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the level of influence of  (a) the BBC Russian Service on Russian society and  (b) the English-language Russian channel on the UK since 1989.

Jeremy Browne: The BBC World Service carried out an extensive survey of the audience for their Russian language service in November 2009. This survey included audience perceptions of the BBC World Service Russian service. It found that the BBC is a clearly recognised brand, and evidence shows that the audience for the BBC Russian service grows in times of crisis.
	Neither the Foreign and Commonwealth Office nor the BBC World Service has carried out a specific survey of the level of influence of 'Russia Today' in the UK.

BBC Russian Service

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will discuss with the BBC Trust the retention of BBC broadcasting services to Russia.

Jeremy Browne: As part of the Government's Spending Review, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) is in discussion with Her Majesty's Treasury about all aspects of the FCO's future budget, including the FCO's grant in aid to the BBC World Service. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has made clear the need for all parts of the FCO family, including BBC World Service, to contribute to efforts to boost efficiency and cut public spending.
	Ministers and senior FCO officials have regularly discussed the Spending Review with the director of the BBC Worldwide Service since the review was announced.
	Its outcome will be announced to Parliament on 20 October.

Cambodia: Politics and Government

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has made a recent assessment of the extent of democratic freedoms in Cambodia; and if he will make a statement.

Jeremy Browne: Cambodia's constitution provides for the protection of democratic freedoms and human rights, but these are not always fully adhered to in practice.
	A recent independent assessment of democratic freedoms in Cambodia can be found in the annual report of the Office of the UN high commissioner for Human Rights in Cambodia. We share the concerns expressed in that report about the use of charges of criminal defamation and disinformation to discourage public debate, and the effect on political pluralism of criminal charges brought against members of opposition parties. The UK raised these concerns at the Human Rights Council during the debate on renewal of the mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur for Cambodia on 28 September.

Cambodia: Politics and Government

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to his Cambodian counterpart on the Cambodian government's treatment of the opposition leader Sam Rainsy.

Jeremy Browne: The UK, with EU partners, has raised concerns with the Government of Cambodia about treatment of Opposition members of the National Assembly including Sam Rainsy on a number of occasions. The local EU Presidency raised the democratic rights of opposition parliamentarians at a meeting with the Minister of Interior, Deputy Prime Minister Sar Kheng, on 15 June. EU and Cambodian representatives also discussed this issue during the Cambodia-EC Joint Committee held in Brussels on 7-8 October. The UK raised concerns about the use of criminal defamation and disinformation charges at the Human Rights Council during the debate on renewal of the mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur for Cambodia on 28 September.
	Officials from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office met with Sam Rainsy during his visit to the UK on 22 September.

Cambodia: Politics and Government

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received on the independence of the judiciary in Cambodia.

Jeremy Browne: In his report of 16 September UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Cambodia, Professor Surya Subedi made a series of recommendations with the aim of improving the human rights situation through strengthening the independence and capacity of the judiciary.
	On 9 September officials from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office met Professor Surya Subedi to discuss the contents of his report. The UK shares the concerns expressed in Professor Subedi's report and made this clear in our statement to the Human Rights Council on 28 September.

Cambodia: Politics and Government

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports his Department has received on the criminal charges against Cambodian opposition leader Sam Rainsy.

Jeremy Browne: We are aware that Sam Rainsy was found guilty of disinformation and falsifying public documents and was sentenced in absentia to 10 years imprisonment and to a fine. The charges relate to documents he published in 2009 to support his allegation that the ongoing process of border demarcation with Vietnam is encroaching on Cambodian territory. This follows a sentence passed in January 2010 of two years imprisonment on separate charges of damage to public property and racial incitement.
	The UK, with EU partners, has raised concerns with the Government of Cambodia about the treatment of Opposition members of the National Assembly, including Sam Rainsy, on a number of occasions. The UK shares the concerns of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in Cambodia on the effect on political pluralism of criminal charges brought against members of the opposition parties.

Colombia: Human Rights

Rehman Chishti: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has made recent representations to the Colombian government on its human rights record.

Jeremy Browne: I represented the UK at the inauguration of President Juan Manuel Santos in August. I took the opportunity of a private meeting with the President and several of his Ministers on 9 August to urge more progress on human rights. I was encouraged by the President's commitment to make human rights a "non-issue" in Colombia. We welcome this renewed commitment and we will work with his administration towards this common end.

Ilois: Resettlement

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is on the return of Chagos Islanders to the Chagos Islands; and if he will make a statement.

Henry Bellingham: The Government have looked into policy on the British Indian Ocean Territory and have decided to defend the claims for resettlement and compensation which the Chagos Islanders have brought to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. This is because we believe the arguments against allowing resettlement on the grounds of feasibility and defence security are clear and compelling. Nor do we see the case for compensation as this has already been paid in full and final settlement of all claims. Both of these issues have already been decided by the UK courts.
	However, we do want to keep channels of communication open to the Chagossian communities and explore new ideas for their engagement with the Territory, short of resettlement. We plan to continue our support for islanders wishing to visit to tend family graves, engage in heritage conservation and contribute to environmental work, including the implementation of the Marine Protected Area.

Libya: Repatriation

Damian Collins: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will place in the Library copies of all documents held by his Department on the negotiation of the Prisoner Transfer Agreement with Libya which have not previously been released.

Alistair Burt: My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister asked the Cabinet Secretary on 20 July to review papers held by the Government surrounding the decision to release Mr Al-Megrahi. The purpose of the review is to see if more documentation needs to be published to ensure the fullest possible explanation of the circumstances surrounding the decision. This review includes papers covering the negotiation of the Prisoner Transfer Agreement with Libya. The review is ongoing and the Cabinet Secretary aims to conclude this work as soon as possible.

North Korea: Asylum

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has had discussions with his Chinese counterpart on the forced repatriation of North Korean refugees.

Jeremy Browne: We monitor this issue closely and last raised it with the Chinese Government during the UK-China Human Rights Dialogue in March. Following representations made by our embassy officials and the office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in Beijing, in May, a family of four North Korean citizens were granted exit visas and allowed to leave China for their destination choice.

Russia and China: Broadcasting

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received on the resources allocated by the Government of  (a) Russia and  (b) China to the creation of broadcasting services which target western audiences.

Jeremy Browne: We do not have official figures for these services. However, according to news reports, Russia Today cost in the region of $30 million to set up, had an operating budget of $60 million in its first year (2004-05) rising to a reported Rub3.6 billion (approx $150 million at the time) in 2008. Press reports estimate that the Chinese Government spend about $2.2 billion on CCTV, their international channel, which targets western and Chinese audiences.

Saudi Arabia: Exports

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he plans to take together with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills to increase British exports to Saudi Arabia.

Alistair Burt: The Government are strongly committed to improving commercial relations through the Gulf Initiative.
	Our exports to Saudi Arabia were £4.8 billion last year and we want this to go on rising.
	I will chair the next Two Kingdoms' Dialogue, which will focus on maximising co-operation in the education, healthcare and tourism sectors.

Shaiboub Arsal

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he  (a) has made recent representations to the government of Egypt on the detention of Shaiboub William Arsal and  (b) plans to make such representations.

Alistair Burt: The UK regularly raises human rights matters of concern with the Egyptian Government. Mr Arsal is one of over 10,000 prisoners in Egypt who is reported to be detained without a final sentence. In our view it is fairer and ultimately more effective, to address the common human rights concerns behind each of these cases, rather than to raise each case individually. For example, the UK supports the EU's €10 million project on the 'Support and Modernisation of Administration of Justice and Enhancement of Security' which is expected to reduce the backlog of cases in Egyptian courts. Given our overall approach, the Government currently have no plans to raise Mr Arsal's case with the Egyptian Government.

Tibet: Human Rights

Rehman Chishti: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has made recent representations to the  (a) Central Tibetan Administration and  (b) Chinese government on human rights in Tibet.

Jeremy Browne: The British Government remain concerned about the human rights situation in Tibet. The Foreign Secretary raised the issue of Tibet and human rights with Foreign Minister Yang during his visit to China on 14 July. I also raised Tibet when I visited China last month.